Countee Cullen, "Epitaphs" (1925)
On earth the wise man makes the rules,
And is the fool's adviser,
But here the wise are as the fools,
(And no man is the wiser).
For One Who Gaily Sowed His Oats
My days were a thing for me to live,
For others to deplore;
I took of life all it could give:
Rind, inner fruit, and core.
For a Wanton
To men no more than so much cover
For them to doff or try,
I found in death a constant lover;
Here in his arms I lie.
For a Preacher
Vanity of vanities,
All is vanity; yea,
Even the rod He flayed you with
Crumbled and turned to clay.
Published in Poetry Magazine, July 1925
This page has paths:
- Poems Published in "Poetry" Magazine Amardeep Singh