Solitude

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it's mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound to a joyful sound,
But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;
Grieve, and they turn and go.
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
But they do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by.
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For a long and lordly train,
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

My Guardian Angel

You hold my hand when I am weak,
And vulnerable at times.
And as you smile I cannot help
But turn my lips upward,
And duplicate the joy
Which lays spread across your face.
When I am sad or unsure,
You make me laugh.
And as you look into my eyes,
They seem to glitter and sparkle
With such energy and life
That I have never seen before.
And it makes me want to be closer to you
All the time.
And even when I am happy and content,
You are there for me.
Just in case I should happen to tumble or fall.
And as you laugh your sound carries across the room,
And it makes me want to be a better person.
As we go along together,
I realize how lucky I am
To be sharing my life with someone as special as you.
You are my everything;
My comfort, my weakness, my joy.
And I thank God everyday
For sending someone like you
To care and comfort me in times of need,
And to be my guardian angel.
For this I thank you,
And hope you will stay in my heart
Forever.
by Andrea Bumstead