When you are old
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look,
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

When you are old and fair,
A voice in my ear, a melody to hear,
In the silence that rises from sleep,
When I rise again and see thee,
A smile that never leaves nor wanes,
In your eyes, there's no end to the thought,
Of wonder and joy.

When you are old and weary,
The night calls for a rest, but not a rest of thought,
Of love's essence, of memory's weight,
In every sigh, in every tear,
Is found strength, that can't be won,
In the glow of your laughter,
A song from a broken world.