YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY
But yesterday among us here,
One with ourselves in hope and fear:
Joying like us in little things,
The sheen of gorgeous insect wings,
The song of bird, the hum of bee,
The white foam of the heaving sea.
One with ourselves in hope and fear:
Joying like us in little things,
The sheen of gorgeous insect wings,
The song of bird, the hum of bee,
The white foam of the heaving sea.
But yesterday your simplest speech,
Your lightest breath, our hearts could reach;
Your very thoughts were ours. Our eyes
Found in your own no mysteries.
Your griefs, your joys, your prayers, we knew,
The hopes that with your girlhood grew.
Your lightest breath, our hearts could reach;
Your very thoughts were ours. Our eyes
Found in your own no mysteries.
Your griefs, your joys, your prayers, we knew,
The hopes that with your girlhood grew.
But yesterday we dared to say,
"'Twere better you should walk this way
Or that, dear child! Do thus or so;
Older and wiser we, you know."
We gave you flowers and curled your hair,
And brought new robes for you to wear.
"'Twere better you should walk this way
Or that, dear child! Do thus or so;
Older and wiser we, you know."
We gave you flowers and curled your hair,
And brought new robes for you to wear.
To-day how far away thou art!
In all thy life we have no part.
Hast thou a want? We know it not;
Utterly parted from our lot,
The veriest stranger is to thee
All those who loved thee best can be.
In all thy life we have no part.
Hast thou a want? We know it not;
Utterly parted from our lot,
The veriest stranger is to thee
All those who loved thee best can be.
