What is song's eternity? <br />Come and see. <br />Can it noise and bustle be? <br />Come and see. <br />Praises sung or praises said <br />Can it be? <br />Wait awhile and these are dead - <br />Sigh, sigh; <br />Be they high or lowly bred <br />They die. <br /> <br />What is song's eternity? <br />Come and see. <br />Melodies of earth and sky, <br />Here they be. <br />Song once sung to Adam's ears <br />Can it be? <br />Ballads of six thousand years <br />Thrive, thrive; <br />Songs awaken with the spheres <br />Alive. <br /> <br />Mighty songs that miss decay, <br />What are they? <br />Crowds and cities pass away <br />Like a day. <br />Books are out and books are read; <br />What are they? <br />Years will lay them with the dead - <br />Sigh, sigh; <br />Trifles unto nothing wed, <br />They die. <br /> <br />Dreamers, mark the honey bee; <br />Mark the tree <br />Where the blue cap "tootle tee" <br />Sings a glee <br />Sung to Adam and to Eve - <br />Here they be. <br />When floods covered every bough, <br />Noah's ark <br />Heard that ballad singing now; <br />Hark, hark, <br /> <br />"Tootle tootle tootle tee" - <br />Can it be <br />Pride and fame must shadows be? <br />Come and see - <br />Every season owns her own; <br />Bird and bee <br />Sing creation's music on; <br />Nature's glee <br />Is in every mood and tone <br />Eternity.<br /><br />John Clare<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/song-s-eternity/
