Loveliest of lovely things are they
On earth, that soonest pass away.
The rose that lives its little hour
Is prized beyond the sculptured flower.
Source: In Wisdom of the Ages at Your Fingertips, MCR software, 1995.
-- William C Bryant, (Nov 3 1794-1878), US poet, editor; His best known poem was Thanatopsis, 1811; edited NY Evening Post.