Now

The Philosophical Beggar written by William Henry Davies

From "Farewell to Poesy", 1910

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When I was in yon town, and had
Stones all round me, hard and cold,
My flesh was firm, my sight was keen,
And still I felt my heart grow old.

But now, with this green world around,
By my great love for it! I swear,
Though my flesh shrink, and my sight fail,
My heart will not grow old with care.

When I do hear these joyful birds,
I cannot sit with my heart dumb;
I cannot walk among these flowers,
But I must help the bees to hum.

My heart has echoes for all things,
The wind, the rain, the bird and bee;
‘Tis I that - now - can carry Time,
Who in that town must carry me.

I see not now the great coke fire
With ten men seated there, or more,
Like frogs on logs; and one man fall
Dying across the boarded floor.

I see instead the flowers and clouds,
I hear the rills, the birds and bees:
The Squirrel flies before the storm
He makes himself in leafy trees.

This work is in the public domain in countries where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.