Spring in War Time

Hugo Simberg

The Garden of Death

Spring in War Time

I feel the Spring far off, far off,

The faint far scent of bud and leaf--

Oh how can Spring take heart to come

To a world in grief,

Deep grief?

The sun turns north, the days grow long,

Later the evening star grows bright--

How can the daylight linger on

For men to fight,

Still fight?

The grass is waking in the ground,

Soon it will rise and blow in waves--

How can it have the heart to sway

Over the graves,

New graves?

Under the boughs where lovers walked

The apple-blooms will shed their breath--

But what of all the lovers now

Parted by death,

Gray Death?

~ Sara Teasdale ~