• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry

Why Do We Live?

August 20, 2012
in Poetry
A A
1

By Joshua Philipp

Just as flowers fall, so shall we all
What meaning to find before time makes its call
To love and the spring
Softly we’d sing
Then what is left, for to dust turn the memories of all.

Yet there was a time, so long ago
When troubles and cares, I would care not to know
And I would sing
And I would dream
In innocent joy that still whispers its call to my home.

 

Joshua Philipp is a newspaper editor, writer, and poet living in Astoria, New York City. He is vice president of the Society of Classical Poets.

Other Poems by Joshua Philipp

 

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here
Next Post

Hantz Farms

Become a Member

President of the Society

President of the Society

Comments 1

  1. Raven says:
    5 years ago

    Dear Josh,
    I note your poems are from 2012, and yet they are timeless.

    Have you more poetry to publish online? Would love to read it. Publish a book of your poetry, even better!

    I love your style, the way you reflect on life’s matters, your choice of words, timing.

    What a great website you have here. Congratulations on your poetry, your Classical Poets society, and your upcoming features.

    I look forward to your next lot of instalments.

    ♥️

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Bob Elkins on ‘Advice to a Cigar Aficionado’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiDecember 18, 2025

    Joseph - I especially liked "Advice...", it brought back memories of illicit smokes! But didn't all the good makers flee…

  2. Margaret Coats on ‘Canzone at Evening’ by Francesco Petrarch, Translated by Margaret CoatsDecember 18, 2025

    Thank you, Joseph. That last line was the most difficult to translate, as it speaks literally of where the poet…

  3. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Advice to a Cigar Aficionado’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiDecember 18, 2025

    Thank you for your comments, Margaret. There still is a market for cigars, but it is now very upscale and…

  4. Margaret Coats on ‘Advice to a Cigar Aficionado’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiDecember 17, 2025

    Your period piece on cigars, Joe, brings to mind the era just previous, when I entered first grade in a…

  5. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Advice to a Cigar Aficionado’ and Other Poems by Joseph S. SalemiDecember 17, 2025

    Well, you know me, Kip -- I really don't give a damn about reader response. I just hammer away at…

Receive Poems in Your Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,624 other subscribers
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Archive

Categories

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.