John Greenleaf Whittier — American Poet born on December 17, 1807, died on September 07, 1892

John Greenleaf Whittier was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the Fireside Poets, Whittier was influenced by the Scottish poet Robert Burns... (wikipedia)

All the windows of my heart I open to the day.
I'll lift you and you lift me, and we'll both ascend together.
Tradition wears a snowy beard, romance is always young.
Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune's bubbles rise and fall; who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree, is more than all.
For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.