Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904. | | | | VI. Human Experience | | “Nothing but leaves” | | Lucy Evelina Akerman (1816–1874) |
| | | NOTHING but leaves; the spirit grieves | |
| Over a wasted life; | |
| Sin committed while conscience slept, | |
| Promises made, but never kept, | |
| Hatred, battle, and strife; | 5 |
| Nothing but leaves! | |
| |
| Nothing but leaves; no garnered sheaves | |
| Of life’s fair, ripened grain; | |
| Words, idle words, for earnest deeds; | |
| We sow our seeds,—lo! tares and weeds: | 10 |
| We reap, with toil and pain, | |
| Nothing but leaves! | |
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| Nothing but leaves; memory weaves | |
| No veil to screen the past: | |
| As we retrace our weary way, | 15 |
| Counting each lost and misspent day, | |
| We find, sadly, at last, | |
| Nothing but leaves! | |
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| And shall we meet the Master so, | |
| Bearing our withered leaves? | 20 |
| The Saviour looks for perfect fruit, | |
| We stand before him, humbled, mute; | |
| Waiting the words he breathes,— | |
| “Nothing but leaves?” | | | | |
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