Classic Poem

O strong must be
Time's mighty tree,
Fed richly with the sun and dew!
O young its root,
To bear a fruit
So fragrant and so sweet as you!
Your wisdom and your courage show
We are still in the age of gold,
Nor will we hold
The tree is old,
Though seasons come and seasons go:
And though a windy autumn day
Have made its branches bare and grey,
We will not doubt that in the Spring
Among the leaves the birds will sing.

The soul so strong,
Cannot belong
To withered, dark, decrepid days:
It is not death,
But autumn's breath,
That makes the green leaves fade and fall,
And not a single twig decays,
The sap is surging in them all.
We must believe,
We must believe
That Spring will autumn-time retrieve,
And that the buds will come anew,
Despite despair,
And branches bare,
We must believe, beholding you .