"Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953)

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

"Mid Shadows" by Eliza M. Hickok (19th Century Poet)

As I sat in lonely musing,
Solitude and silence choosing,
Shadows, coming on apace,
Gathered me in their embrace;
Shadows, gathering all around me,
With their strange, weird power bound me;
Shadows, passing swiftly on,
Seemed in sombre shapes to form,
Till in fancy I beheld
Loved ones I had known so well.
Then, on life I sadly pondered,
And my mind far backward wandered,
While these silent shadows, creeping,
Over me their watch were keeping.
Like a vivid panarama,
One by one there passed before me
Forms familiar, once loved faces,
Bringing scenes of distant places.
One I saw, --a noble youth,--
On his brow the seal of truth.
He went out to fight for freedom,
When the cry for help first reached him.
Like a patriot, strong and brave,
All for the just cause he gave,--
Loyal heart, so firm and true,
Even life -- he gave that, too.
Then, a maiden passing on,
Just a glimpse, and she was gone.
Well I knew her, --lovely, smiling,
Weary hours with song beguiling.
Just when life was opening bright,
She went out from mortal sight.
Still another, pale and sad:
Once I knew her happy, glad:
Base desertion, cruel scorning,
Broke her young heart in life's morning.
All life's joys were at an end:
Rest was sweet, and death a friend.
Faded flowers decked her bed,
Like her own hopes, crushed and dead.
Then, of shadows, still another,
One we cherished like a brother;
Strong and happy, fond of life,
Ready for its toil and strife;
Stricken down, alas! how soon!
Ere his sun had reached its noon.
Hard to give a form so brave
To the cold and lonely grave!
Hard, a face so glad and bright
No more blessed our mortal sight!
We would fain have kept him longer,
But the stern decree was stronger.
Sad I felt, yet glad to meet them;
For I know that I shall greet them,
Some day, when I leave the mortal,
And pass calmly through Death's portal.

"All of Me" by John Legend & Toby Gad

What would I do without your smart mouth?
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

How many times do I have to tell you
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you

My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

Give me all of you
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts
Risking it all, though it's hard

'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you

I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

"A Poem" by Eliza M. Hickok (19th Century Poet)

Sometimes, here, the soul is lifted
To a height more pure and gifted
Than to mortals often cometh in the beaten walks of life;
Losing sight of things terrestrial,
Gains a glimpse of the celestial,
And forgets in such an hour all the scenes of earthly strife.

Oh, that such a revelation,
Such God-given inspiration,
Might imbue our earthly actions, to our words give gentle tone;
Bid us strike our trembling lyre
Yet again, and one note higher,
As we seek for light 'mid darkness and for gems of truth unknown.

Mortal friend, hath earth been dreary,
Till thy spirit, lone and weary,
Drifts in sorrow, almost hopeless, on the stormy sea of life;
And the wild waves round thee dashing,
Into wrath thy spirit lashing,
Are to thee more dark and fearful than all elemental strife?

Till, perchance, all joy and gladness
Seem to merge  in gloom and sadness,
Till thy hopes, the life-tide swelling, one by one in grief depart?
Like a cheering, pleasing story,
Like a passing glimpse of glory,
Like a sweet and touching cadence, which with joy once thrilled the heart.

Cheerless seemed the way before thee,
Heavy clouds of darkness o'er thee,
Shrouding all the glorious sunlight in a deep Cimmerian gloom;
Till thy saddened spirit, yearning
For a rest, to death is turning,
Thinking earthly sorrow endeth in the darkly silent tomb?

Are thy joys and hopes fast waning,
Not a happy gleam remaining,
Till thy spirit hears with terror life's dark billows' fearful roar?
Dashing waves of wild contention,
Spirit fierce of harsh dissension,
Do they seem to whisper sadly, Earthly bliss is thine no more?

Know this cloud hath silver lining:
Soon a ray of sunlight, shinning,
Wakes thy weary heart to rapture, to receive its cheering power.
Sorrow's waves then backward rolling,
Grief and gloom no more controlling,
Thou may'st see the loving wisdom which hath guided thee each hour.

Ever in this world of sorrow,
Joy to-day and grief to-morrow,
Transient gleams of sunshine glimmer all along the earthly shore.
Thus, we hope not for all brightness,
Or the spirit nought but lightness,
But to gain from each stern conflict some new power unknown before

Rightly viewed, each tribulation
Bringeth us a pure salvation,
Learns the heart some higher lessons, and the soul more lofty lays.
For the lessons it bestoweth,
For the wisdom which infloweth,
Let us thank the All-wise Father, and to him ascribe all praise.

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost (1875-1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.