THE WAY OF THE WORLD – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Laugh, and the world laughs with you,
    Weep, and you weep alone ;
For the brave old earth must borrow its mirth,
     It has troubles enough of its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer,
     Sigh ! it is lost on the air ;
The echoes rebound to a joyful sound,
     But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you,
     Grieve, and they turn and go ;
They want full measure of all your pleasure,
     But they dont want your woe.
Be glad and your friends are many,
     Be sad and you lose them all ;
There are none to decline your nectard wine,
     But alone you must drink lifes gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded ;
     Fast, and the world goes by ;
Succeed and give and it helps you live,
     But no man can help you die,
There is room in the halls of pleasure
     For a long and lordly train ;
But one by one we must all file on
     Thro the narrow aisles of pain.

Money, you got lots of friends
Crowding ’round the door
When you’re gone and spending ends
They don’t come no more