GROWING old, and looking back
Wistfully along his track,
I have heard him try to tell,
With a smile a little grim,
Why a world he loved so well
Had no larger fruit of him:-
‘Twas one summer, when the time
Loiter?d like drowsy rhyme,
Sauntering on his idle way
Somehow he had lost a day.
Whether ’twas the daisies meek,
Keeping Sabbath all the week,
Birds without one work-day even,
Or the little pagan bees,
Busy all-the sunny seven,-
Whether sleep at afternoon,
Or much rising with the moon,
Couching with the morning star,
Or enchantments like to these,
Had confused his calendar,-
“It is Saturday,” men said.
“Nay, ‘t is Friday,” obstinate
Clung the notion in his head.
Had the cloudy sisters three
In their weaving of his fate,
Dozed, and dropped a stitch astray?
“‘T was the losing of that day
Cost my fortune,” he would say.
“On that day I should have writ
Screeds of wisdom and of wit;
Should have sung the missing song,
Wonderful, and sweet, and strong;
Might have solved men’s doubt and dream
With some waiting truth supreme.
If another thing there be
That a groping hand may miss
In a twilight world like this,
Those lost hours its grace and glee.
Surely would have brought to me.”
(Edward Rowland Sill)
More Poetry from Edward Rowland Sill:
Edward Rowland Sill Poems based on Topics: World, Birds, Morning, Fate & Destiny, Summer, Wisdom & Knowledge, Time, Smiling, Wit- The World Runs Round (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
- On A Picture Of Mt. Shasta By Kieth (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
- Among The Redwoods (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
- A Californian's Dreams (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
- Five Lives (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
- Hermione (Edward Rowland Sill Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: World Poems, Time Poems, Smiling Poems, Birds Poems, Fate & Destiny Poems, Wisdom & Knowledge Poems, Morning Poems, Summer Poems, Wit PoemsBased on Keywords: dozed, sauntering, enchantments, couching, work-day, all-the, screeds