Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SONG OF THE EARTHLINGS, by RICHARD EUGENE BURTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SONG OF THE EARTHLINGS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Out of the earth we came
Last Line: Old time has laid them low.
Subject(s): Dreams; Earth; Life; Singing & Singers; Time; Trees; Nightmares; World; Songs


OUT of the earth we came,
Into the earth we go:
Our aim leaped high like flame,
But Time has brought us low.

Under the clustered trees
Dreams we dreamt a score;
By headlands of splendid seas
We ravaged and sung and swore.

Amid the cities of men
We thrilled to Life's various quest;
Very far from us then
The thought that slumber is best.

Sun and moon and stars
Lighted us on our way:
Happy, we took the scars,
Happy, we earned our pay.

Light-foot creatures were we,
Each bent on his own device;
Love or war, par-die,
At the throw of the loaded dice.

One thing, only one,
Utterly passed us by:
That when our day was done
We must cease, O mates, and die!

But out of the earth we come,
And into the earth we go;
Our shame alike with our fame,
Old Time has laid them low.





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