To those who have known my mad life's troubles I leave these lines -- 'tis all I have to leave Save faults and follies; the dreams and bubbles Of my young life; and O I grieve In tears of blood I could not worthier weave. True, 'tis a farewell piece but poorly spoken, It is an adieu song but harshly sung; For the heart beats dull and the harp is broken, And the hand that o'er the keys is flung Is nerveless now, and the chords unstrung. The round red sun is set for me for ever, And nebulous darkness is rolling from afar; And I stand adown by death's dark river Calmly and alone, for the thoughts that war Have died, or dimly burn, as yon sweet star. 'Tis well I stand by the rushing river, Up to my knees in the blackened tide; The sounding waters will drown for ever The critic's jeers and paynim pride, -- And reviews are not ferried to the other side. So life is but a day of weary fretting As a sickly babe for its mother gone; And I fold my hands, only this regretting: That I have writ no thought, or thing, not one, That lives, or earns a cross or cryptic stone. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...REMEMBERED WOMEN by CARL SANDBURG 1914: 1. PEACE by RUPERT BROOKE LOVERS' INFINITENESS by JOHN DONNE THE TWO ANGELS by JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER A SONNET. ON THE PICTURE OF CAVALIER GUARINI PAINTED BY BORGIANNI by PHILIP AYRES |