John Gould Fletcher

From “Modern Lamentations”

I GAVE you everything:

My sorrows amused you and my fame.

You gave me everything again:

Care, suffering, shame.

I gave you everything;

I let you daub my love with filthy lust.

You gave me everything again:

Ashes and bitter dust.

I gave you everything:

Children, toil, gold.

You gave me everything again—

The purse of life is empty that I hold.

I gave you everything:

With jewels of song I made and left you fair.

You gave me everything again:

Old age, despair.

Now there is nothing more that I can give—

Useless to me now anything but the grave.

I shall pass out to the night, but you can live,

Unless you have flung away the things I gave.