Ella Wheeler Wilcox - Was, Is, And Yet-To-Be - American Poetry

"Was, Is, And Yet-To-Be" is a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, an American author and poet who lived from 1850 to 1919. This poem reflects on the past, present, and future, exploring the continuum of time and the human experience within it.
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Was, Is, and Yet-to-Be
Were chatting over a cup of tea.
In tarnished finery smelling of must,
Was talked of people long turned to dust;
Of titles and honours and high estate,
All forgotten or out of date;
Of wonderful feasts in the long ago,
Of pride that perished with nothing to show.
"I loathe the present," said Was, with a groan;
"I live in pleasures that I HAVE known."
The Yet-to-be, in a gown of gauze,
Looked over the head of musty Was,
And gazed far off into misty space
With a wrapt expression upon her face.
"Such wonderful pleasures are coming to me,
Such glory, such honour," said Yet-to-be.
"No one dreamed, in the vast Has-Been,
Of such successes as I shall win.
"The past, the present -why, what are they?
I live for the joy of a future day."
Then practical Is, in a fresh print dress,
Spoke up with a laugh, "I must confess
"I find to-day so pleasant," she said,
"I never look back, and seldom ahead.
"Whatever has been, is a finished sum;
Whatever will be -why, let it come.
"To-day is mine. And so, you see,
I have the past and the yet-to-be;
"For to-day is the future of yesterday,
And the past of to-morrow. I live while I may,
"And I think the secret of pleasure is this.
And this alone," said practical Is.
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Read by Heidi Paek
https://librivox.org/short-poetry-collection-118/
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