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Epitaph

Epitaph

By Charles L. Swan

Tonight a thousand ages sing to me
The climax of their Epic Industry—
The glowing coals that cheer my evening's rest
Were golden trappings once, on Autumn's breast.

Tomorrow, when my song is fled, my bones
Will fuse with railroad tracks and graveyard stones
And bathtubs, spectacles, and copper wires,
For fuel to burn in some far future fires.

Prairie Schooner, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Spring 1928), p. 128

Biography

Charles L. Swan grew up in India, where his father was a missionary. In addition to being a poet, he became a reverend and settled in Michigan with his wife and two sons.

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