A PSALM OF LIFE
- Why are you so depressing, religious man:
telling me life is only an empty dream?
- Of course, we don’t have life merely to die:
the grave a final end for a life asleep,
- but there’s nothing so good as death to focus the mind:
a wake up call for life, and life is full,
- for life is real and earnest all day long:
our lives are only fleeting, art survives.
- So we can strive to act, improve the hour:
that every new tomorrow makes for progress,
- the present’s to enjoy and lead us on:
to be heroic now, achieving more,
- to leave behind some footprints on the sand:
perhaps to give encouragement to one who follows.
- Up and learn to live and also wait:
for God goes on before and justice calls.
Notes:
after Henry W Longfellow’s ‘A Psalm of Life: what the heart of the young man said to the Psalmist’, beginning: "Tell me not in mournful numbers 'Life is but an empty dream!’" vv 2,3 cp John Donne’s sermon (In the cart from Newgate to Tybu