Complete Collection

by James Allen

To-morrow and to-day In the dark land of To-morrow I dwelt with pain and sorrow, And I sighed for joys and blessings that escaped me as I ran ; And the darkness gathered round me, For the morrow ever found me Living in "What I ought to do," and not in what I can. And I sought for loving-kindness In the dim, dark haunts of blindness ; In the lightless caves of self I searched for blessedness and rest; And I reached out hands appealing, Sadly groped for light and healing, Striving for " what I want to have, " not what is true and best. Then I found that selfish hoping, Darkly seeking, blindly groping In vain wishing and regretting chased life’s glory frommy brow; So I ceased from selfish fretting, Turned to Love, and, self-forgetting, Left " what I hope to get and keep," for what I will be now. So I fled from self and sorrow, Left the dark land of To-morrow, And thought of what kind deeds to do, what loving words to say; And the light of peace and gladness Chased away the clouds of sadness, For I lost the past and future in the bright world of To-day.