Legacy

Nor wealth, nor fame,

Nor progeny have I,

And when I slip

These churlish bonds to fly

To whither souls unfettered

Go to die,

No comet heralds my departure

'cross the sky.

Perhaps someday

A budding poet will find

This legacy of verse

I'll leave behind.

He'll see no wit nor wisdom

For the ages,

Or note my name writ large

In lists of sages.

If words have magic,

He'll read mine and believe

A life on stage and page

Was how I chose to live,

And when the time was come

For me to leave,

This winsome wealth of words

Was what I chose to give.