Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FOLLIES OF THE WISE, by RAY CLARKE ROSE


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FOLLIES OF THE WISE, by                    
First Line: A man is a fool in his youth, my son
Last Line: Is happy indeed, and wise—so wise!
Subject(s): Fools; Life; Love; Man-woman Relationships; Men; Wisdom; Women; Idiots; Male-female Relations


A man is a fool in his youth, my son,
And none is wise till his course be run;
For a woman's eyes or the gleam of gold
Will dazzle his wits till he 's old—so old!
And the flirt of a skirt or the thrill of a song
Will soften his heart for long—so long!
And a woman's sighs or a woman's tears
Will make him a slave for years and years.

A man is a fool at worst—and best—
And his life is a grim and a guilty jest,
With a gush of joy or a gasp of pain,
And the round of his labor, and over again;
But his toil grows less and his griefs depart
When he feels the throb of a comrade heart,
And his life is a beautiful vision while
He lives in the light of a loved one's smile.

A man is a fool, for his pride and greed
Will take him beyond his farthest need,
And the bauble of wealth or the bubble fame
Will he seek to his grief or lasting shame;
But a woman's love is of all the earth
Man's rightful gift and of greatest worth,
And who studies the world in his dear love's eyes
Is happy indeed, and wise—so wise!





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