Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The Worlds Best Poetry. Volume IV. The Higher Life. 1904. | | VI. Human Experience | Nothing but leaves | Lucy Evelina Akerman (18161874) |
| NOTHING but leaves; the spirit grieves | |
Over a wasted life; | |
Sin committed while conscience slept, | |
Promises made, but never kept, | |
Hatred, battle, and strife; | 5 |
Nothing but leaves! | |
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Nothing but leaves; no garnered sheaves | |
Of lifes fair, ripened grain; | |
Words, idle words, for earnest deeds; | |
We sow our seeds,lo! tares and weeds: | 10 |
We reap, with toil and pain, | |
Nothing but leaves! | |
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Nothing but leaves; memory weaves | |
No veil to screen the past: | |
As we retrace our weary way, | 15 |
Counting each lost and misspent day, | |
We find, sadly, at last, | |
Nothing but leaves! | |
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And shall we meet the Master so, | |
Bearing our withered leaves? | 20 |
The Saviour looks for perfect fruit, | |
We stand before him, humbled, mute; | |
Waiting the words he breathes, | |
Nothing but leaves? | | | |
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