The Roots of the Roses - An 1878 Poem

By Alice Cary.

The leaves are fading and falling,

The winds are rough and wild,

The birds have ceased their calling,

But let me tell you, my child,

 

Though day by day, as it closes,

Doth darker and colder grow,

The roots of the bright red roses

Will keep alive in the snow.

 

And when the winter is over,

The boughs will get new leaves,

The quail comes back to the clover,

The swallow back to the eaves;

 

The robin will wear on his bosom

The vest that is bright and new,

And the liveliest wayside blossom

Will shine with sun and dew.

 

So, when some dear joy loses

In beauteous summer glow,

Think how the roots of the roses

Are kept alive in the snow!

January 31, 1878. Stark County Democrat 44(35): 7.