If on water and sweet bread
Seven years I’ll add to life,
For me will no blood be shed,
No lamb know the evil knife;
Excellently will I dine
On a crust and Adam’s wine.
If a bed in monkish cell
Well mean old of age to me,
Let me in a convent dwell,
And from fellow men be free;
Let my mellow sunset days
Pass in piety and praise.
For I love each hour I live,
Wishing it were twice as long;
Dawn my gratitude I give,
Laud the Lord with evensong:
Now that moons are sadly few
How I grudge the grave its due!
Yet somehow I seem to know
Seven Springs are left to me;
Seven Mays may cherry tree
Will allume with sudden snow . . .
Then let seven candles shine
Silver peace above my shrine.
(Robert William Service)
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Based on Topics: Life Poems, Hope Poems, Water Poems, Praise Poems, Age Poems, Wine Poems, Good & Evil PoemsBased on Keywords: monkish, evensong, laud, mays, excellently, allume