Had carved there, ah! me, was—my own.

And what if Life’s thorns pressed my temples

Or sorrow to midnight turns day,

I will press on alone through the darkness,

Believing her hand leads the way.

I will traverse the chill “Swamp of Cypress”

Where the “Rivers of Death” slowly wind;

For she’ll beckon me over with garlands,

And the crown with the lily buds lined.