Solitude
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.
Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Photo by Alistair.
8 comments:
Or you could just get rid of "good times" friends.
See you later.;)
Isn't it just a tiny bit obvious?
BTW, A group of resorers have just completed a Mosquito restoration and it took to the skies 2 days ago.
Here's a link.
http://youtu.be/YEyDlgJYIF8
i do think truer words were never spoken than these.
love, love LOVE the photo! is it yours?
Hey Alistair! Again, you educate me; I had no idea this was the source of the saying. And:
"The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care."
is bang on. Sadly. Roth
This poem is perfect for today... the change of season is bringing up a strange mixture of feelings. Which to choose?
Some of us are more alone than others are alone.
Are you OK Alistair?
My husband could take this poem to heart as he is off work with a painful disc problem in his back.
Yes, the world does get bored quickly of others' pain...just look at Syria.
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