Life owes me nothing. Let the years Bring clouds or azure, joy or tears; Already a full cup I've quaffed; Already wept and loved and laughed, And seen, in ever-endless ways, New beauties overwhelm the days. Life owes me nought. No pain that waits Can steal the wealth from memory's gates; No aftermath of anguish slow Can quench the soul fire's early glow. I breathe, exulting, each new breath, Embracing Life, ignoring Death. Life owes me nothing. One clear morn Is boon enough for being born; And be it ninety years or ten, No need for me to question when. While Life is mine, I'll find it good, And greet each hour with gratitude. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...SPRING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE by CLAUDE MCKAY THE IMPOSSIBLE INDISPENSIBILITY OF THE ARS POETICA by HAYDEN CARRUTH GEOMETRY IS THE MIND OF GOD by JAMES GALVIN SELF-ANALYSIS by DAVID IGNATOW LET ME NOT LOSES MY DREAM by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON THE PLACE OF PEACE by EDWIN MARKHAM |