Rosebuds

So my rosebuds have been gathered
And my harvest taken in
As my life draws into winter
Though the season it is spring
And the days are getting longer
Though they always seem too short
Now the sun is shining brighter
Than I had sometimes thought
Yet still the world seems darker
Than twas in my days of youth
The ever-growing shadows
The cold and bitter truth
But there are still always pastimes
And often good company
With bonhomie and laughter
And honey still for tea…

E.M. Swift-Hook