Castle Builders Poem by Samuel Alfred Beadle

Many and many a merry day,
Under the oak tree's shade,
We children tripped it out to play,
Happy, blithe and gay;
Then we built our airy castles high,
To occupy - ah when?
When we were grown to men,
Those beautiful, airy castles high,
When we were grown to men.


Or down the lane we chased the fly,
That brilliant, gauzy thing,
Which seemed a sunbeam floating by,
Blithe and gay as we,
When we built those airy castles high,
To occupy - ah when?
When we were grown to men,
Those beautiful, airy castles high,
When we were grown to men.


Alas! the golden years have flown;
Also the blithe and gay;
But hope's phantoms flit the gloam
Just the same today;
And we build our airy castles high,
To occupy them when
We unite the schemes of men -
You beautiful, airy castles high,
We'll occupy you then.


And soar again on fancy's wings,
Chasing the rainbows down;
Those radiant and dazzling things,
The visionary schemes of men;
And build our castles somewhat worse,
Than in the years gone by;
For we shall occupy them when
We learn to know man is a farce,
And his promise is a lie.