MY poor old body, I am sorry for you,
Shatter’d and shaken as you needs must be,
‘Ere you attain the only goal before you –
Rest, dissolution, and non-entity.
Yet, while you linger I will care for you,
Build up your failing nerve with food and wine;
Cleanse, clothe, and comfort you the long night through,
Lull you to sleep with melodies divine.
For you and I have had good times together,
Playing pretence with Nature’s lovely things,
When oft a crimson leaf or glowing feather
Would send us flutt’ring on ideal wings.
We have built castles on the sandy plain,
And planted roses on a stony soil;
Have fail’d, and wept, and failing tried again,
And gather’d comfort even from our toil.
We have seen spectres in the shadowy grove,
And track’d out angels on the sweepy skies;
Have made believe to live, and learn, and love,
And dreamed a dream of Hope that never dies.
I’ve dressed you oft in fanciful array,
And garnish’d you with gay and glitt’ring things;
Now, all your gaudy trappings fall away,
And not a shred of tinsel round you clings.
And so, dear playmate, when we say “Good-bye,”
Sleep well till Nature dresses you again;
Perchance in feathery garb to sing and fly,
Or draped in gold to deck the smiling plain.
I shall be girded with a robe of white,
Meet for the higher service of our King;
I shall be taught with winged pen to write,
And in angelic chorus learn to sing.
We have play’d our part on this our infant stage,
Of vast Futurity the type and token,
But, when I enter on mine heritage.
I shall not cry because my toys are broken.
(Emily Mary Barton)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Dreams Poems, Kings & Queens Poems, Hope Poems, Smiling Poems, Gold Poems, Education Poems, Wine Poems, Body Poems, Learning Poems, Ideal PoemsBased on Keywords: garnish, fanciful, sweepy, non-entity