Solitude
LAUGH, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone.
For the sad old earth must borrow it’s mirth,
But has trouble enough of it’s own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh, it is lost on the air.
The echoes bound 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 do not need your woe.
Be glad, and your friends are many;
Be sad, and you lose them all.
There are none to decline your nectared wine,
But alone you must drink life’s 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
Through the narrow aisles of pain.
Adventures With Words 
As many do, I remembered the first line, but hadn’t read the whole thing. I sure couldn’t have named the poet. Thanks for posting! I hope you do have at least one friend who doesn’t run away when things get rough. We each need one of those…
I found the poem in a 101 Favorite Poems anthology I got at a bookstore that was going out of business, so it’s very much a lucky find. I’ve read a lot of poems but none have moved me as much as this one.
And thank you! I hope you have one of those people in your life too.