I have known loveliness

I have known loveliness that broke my heart:

Pale aspens thro' an ev'ning wet with rain;

A dusty road whereon the rattling wain

Went creaking homeward from some crowded mart--

A road that wandered like a thing apart,

And made me dream of lost youth once again.

And what of roses with their crimson stain

Against a wall that crumbled from the start?

I drink all wonder avidly, lest I

Be absent from this world within a day.

I scarcely dare to sleep, or turn away,

Fearing that Death may whisper, "Say good-bye

To this bright scene, and follow me!"

Oh, why is Life so brief? Why can we not delay?