Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
Poems of Sentiment: II. LifeThe Indian Weed
Anonymous (Seventeenth Century)T
Though green at noon, cut down at night,
Shows thy decay,—
All flesh is hay:
Thus think, and drink tobacco.
Does thus thy mortal state bespeak;
Thou art e’en such,—
Gone with a touch:
Thus think, and drink tobacco.
Then thou behold’st the vanity
Of worldly stuff,—
Gone with a puff:
Thus think, and drink tobacco.
Think on thy soul defiled with sin;
For then the fire
It does require:
Thus think, and drink tobacco.
Then to thyself thou mayest say
That to the dust
Return thou must:
Thus think, and drink tobacco.