The crumbs of bitter comfort fall; Our throats are parched; our mouths are dry; The dead leaves drift along the wall; "A little happiness!" we cry. "Not much -- not long; enough to drink Once of the sweet sun, ere we go. Not long -- not much; enough to know Once how the gods live, ere we sink." "Serve Life" -- they preach -- "Your pleasure's naught. Serve Life and die." Must those, who never Asked to be born, be balked of their retort? "Life is our enemy forever!" Thus have the generations cried -- "O Unknown, let us feel content We had our jest before we went -- We were revenged before we died!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ABOVE AND WITHIN by DAVID IGNATOW CAMOMILE TEA by KATHERINE MANSFIELD CANCIONEROS: 2 by CRISTOBAL DE CASTILLEJO A VISION UPON [THIS CONCEIT] OF THE FAERIE QUEENE (1) by WALTER RALEIGH THE SHEPHEARDES CALENDER: DEDICATORY SONNET by EDMUND SPENSER RIFLEMAN FORM! by ALFRED TENNYSON |