Classic Poem

O love, if life should end to-night,
How short our life would seem!
One little flash of summer light;
One brief and passionate dream;
One glimpse of roses on the wall,
Or blue-bells in the lane,
Then, love, the end, the end of all—
Aye, buds might swell, and leaves might fall,
But not for us again!

The stream we used to watch and love
Would ever onward flow;
From the dark pines the grey wood-dove
Would call—we should not know.
Ah! not for us the pines would wave,
For us no stream would run;
We should be silent in the grave,
Unable even to hoard and save
One little glimpse of sun.

Yet is not this a sombre view
Of life and all it brings?
Thank heaven, the bright waves still are blue,
And still the throstle sings!
And oh, before love's conquering song
Death's voice sinks quite away;
For life is short, but love is long,
And death is fierce, but love is strong,
And love shall win the day!