At the laughing hour of spring
Mirth is heard in every sing
In the laughing hours of day
Joy comes swift without delay
Then the erstwhile twinge arrives Next suspicion far and wide
Yet deep belly laugh persuades
All have their faith in dance of day
As years pass fond hopes subside
Blissless nights become a bride And all
feeling disarray
Becomes life’s wilting sad bouquet.
We fearless saw all rising tide
And stayed enthralled every time And
fought each fight with victory
Inscribed upon the mantlepiece
Where fire embraced the conquered earth As
warm flame became home of hearth Where
proud poem spoke Invictus seems To float
above the fray of dreams
Of building new song’s fresh success
Where willful thought conjoins best
beneath the cry of sky blest by
Stormwrought dark of browbeat clouds
When freelike whimsy cried aloud.
Til trophy brass grew grimy dim
As light itself was shadow thin
And weary strode in stride the horse
With ragged bones on every course
through pinepitch trees of forest bleak without
a trail with none to speak Of happy times when
thoughts bled brave Condemned not even note
of grave.
