The Road of Life

The Road of Life

by BM, 9th Oct 98. (8 lines each and concluding couplet)

Oh! Youth, happy youth! what a blessing

In thy freshness of dawn and of dew!

When hope the young heart is caressing!

and our grief’s are but light and but few:

Yet in life, as it softly flies O er us,

some missings for sadness we find;

In youth - we've our troubles before us,

In age - we leave pleasure behind,

yes - Trouble's the post boy that drives us

uphill - till we get to the top;

While joy's an old servant behind us

we call on forever to stop

“oh, put on the drag, joy, my jewel,

as long as the sunset still glows;

before it is dark ‘twould be cruel

to haste to the hill foot’s repose”

but there stands an inn we must stop at,

an extinguisher swings for the sign

The house is but cold and but narrow –

but the prospect beyond it – divine!

and there – whence there’s never returning

When we travel – as travel we must –

may the gates be all free for our journey!

and the tears of our friends lay the dust!

For we are born in other’s pain,

And perish in our own!