Oh roses for the flush of youth,
And laurel for the perfect prime;
But pluck an ivy branch for me
Grown old before my time.
Oh violets for the grave of youth,
And bay for those dead in their prime;
Give me the withered leaves I chose
Before in the old time.
More verses by Christina Georgina Rossetti
- To My Mother
- I Have A Little Husband
- Angels At The Foot
- Crimson Curtains Round My Mother's Bed
- Dead In The Cold, A Song-Singing Thrush