I Always Have Loved Life Poem by Francis Duggan

I always have loved life and only death I fear
And my call from the reaper with each new dawn draws near
But 'tis only the fear I fear of death the great unknown
Till Nature claims us all we are all Nature's own.

I am not without sin I cannot cast the stone
And what are Human Beings are we just flesh and bone
No different to a sheep, a dog or cat or fox
To be cremated and burned to ashes or buried in a box?

I always have loved life it is a marvellous thing
But each Spring that we live may be our final Spring
The old song 'The longer we live the sooner we will die'
The truth in those words one could never deny.

Of death 'tis the fear of the fear of dying that and nothing more
And each year is a bonus beyond the three score
But I have always loved life so I will live as long as I can
I would rather die an old coward than a heroic young man