Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume VI. Fancy. 1904. | | | | Poems of Sentiment: II. Life | | Life | | Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850–1919) |
| | | LIFE, like a romping school-boy full of glee, | |
| Doth bear us on his shoulders for a time: | |
| There is no path too steep for him to climb, | |
| With strong lithe limbs, as agile and as free | |
| As some young roe, he speeds by vale and sea, | 5 |
| By flowery mead, by mountain-peak sublime, | |
| And all the world seems motion set to rhyme, | |
| Till, tired out, he cries, “Now carry me!” | |
| In vain we murmur. “Come,” Life says, “Fair play!” | |
| And seizes on us. God! He goads us so. | 10 |
| He does not let us sit down all the day. | |
| At each new step we feel the burden grow, | |
| Till our bent backs seem breaking as we go, | |
| Watching for Death to meet us on the way. | | | | |
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