Reality (Claude McKay)

Reality (1920)
by Claude McKay

First published in Workers' Dreadnought , Vol 7, No. 5 24 April 1920 under pseudonym Hugh Hope

2651676Reality1920Claude McKay

Reality

For one soul saved from wreck so many lost;
   For one fair flower so many loathsome weeds;
For one calm sea so many tempest-tossed;
   One act of love so many hateful deeds.

For one slight ray of hope a million fears;
   One day of peace long bitter years of strife;
One hollow laugh a thousand genuine tears;
   Such is the grim reality of life.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.

The longest-living author of this work died in 1948, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 75 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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Reality (Claude McKay)

Reality

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