Back to Index

Barter

by Sara Teasdale, 1917

Life has loveliness to sell,
   All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,


Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder in a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,


Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,


Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,


Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace


Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstacy
Give all you have been, or could be.

Tags: carpe diem

Any corrections or public domain poems I should have here? Email me at poems (at) this domain.