The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar/Life

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For other versions of this work, see Life (Dunbar).

LIFE

A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in,
A minute to smile and an hour to weep in,
A pint of joy to a peck of trouble,
And never a laugh but the moans come double;
     And that is life!

A crust and a corner that love makes precious,
With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us;
And joy seems sweeter when cares come after,
And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter;
     And that is life!

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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