I've gathered roses and the like, in many glad and golden Junes; but
now, as down the world I hike, my weary hands are filled with prunes.
I've gathered roses o'er and o'er, and some were white, and some were
red; but when I took them to the store, the grocer wanted eggs instead.
I gathered roses long ago, in other days, in other scenes; and people
said: "You ought to go, and dig the weeds out of your beans." A
million roses bloomed and died, a million more will die today; that man
is wise who lets them slide, and gathers up the bales of hay.