A Song of Living
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die
I have sent up my gladness on wings,
to be lost in the blue of the sky
I have run and leaped with the rain,
I have taken the wind to my breast
My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth
I have pressed.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have kissed young love on the lips,
I have heard his song to the end
I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend
I have known the peace of heaven,
the comfort of work done well
I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I give a share of my soul to the world,
when and where my course is run
I know that another shall finish the task
I surely must leave undone
I know that no flower, nor flint was in
vain on the path I once did travel
But, I sipped nectar and wine when all
of life’s mysteries did slowly unravel
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
Amelia Burr