We are but phantoms on the screen of life,
The reel itself is very far away;
And farther, in the cosmic Hollywood,
The actors play.
The phantoms on the screen are moving fast,
So fast that they can neither think nor see;
But they are wondering whether like the past
Or worse or better will the future be.
I know, at least, whatever be the gains
Or losses as we speed away,
That still for thee and me remains
A thought of yesterday.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1927.
The author died in 1940, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.