Life, wilt thou wait awhile
And let me smile?
Before the stress and turmoil have begun,
Grant me one hour,
One hour of golden dalliance in the sun,
The fair, sole dower
To hold forever close against my breast,
And so forever rest
In happy knowledge that joy has been mine;
That in my veins like wine
Has run the glamour of the sunlight's glow;
That winds so soft and low
Have brought me fragrance of the distant brine,
Or honey-sweet amid the Spring-touched trees
Have swept the scent of these
Into my eager senses, till I seem
A part of my own dream,
My dream of youth
And nature's flowering,
Life, let me sing!
Wilt thou not stand aside
Until with all the fair world's gifts allied
I shall have armor of delight to bring
Against the fierce, hot sting
Of thine assault when that dread day shall come?
I promise thee, O Life, I shall be dumb,
Nor utter one reproach, if only now
I may go forth with gay uplifted brow
And meet my golden hour of happy fate —
Life, wilt thou wait?

I am no coward — when the trumpet calls,
Valiant, my feet shall climb the crumbling walls,
My breast be bared to hail of shot and shell;
But now, while all is well,
Let me hold fast
To this sweet hour that it shall ever last,
A hostage for the future and the fight.
Thus, when the darkness comes and clash of arms
And all my soul is sick with fierce alarms,
The healing light,
The peace of what has been,
Shall guide me through the din,
And pledge me promise of what is to be;
Thus may I see
My happy hour once more restored to me,
Transfigured, dim perchance, yet glorified
Although with Death allied!
So be it, then — if now,
Stern Life, if thou
Wilt wait a little while,
And let me smile!