IF this little world to-night Suddenly should fall through space In a hissing, headlong flight, Shrivelling from off its face, As it falls into the sun, In an instant every trace Of the little crawling things -- Ants, philosophers, and lice, Cattle, cockroaches, and kings, Beggars, millionaires, and mice, Men and maggots, -- all as one As it falls into the sun, -- Who can say but at the same Instant from some planet far A child may watch us and exclaim: "See the pretty shooting star!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MONADNOCK IN EARLY SPRING by AMY LOWELL EARTH IS ENOUGH by EDWIN MARKHAM THE IYYOB TRANSLATION FROM 'A-15' by LOUIS ZUKOFSKY SESTINA OF THE TRAMP ROYAL by RUDYARD KIPLING FOUR PRELUDES ON PLAYTHINGS OF THE WIND by CARL SANDBURG A DEDICATION by THOMAS BAILEY ALDRICH |