IF

By E. E. Cummings

If freckles were lovely, and day was night,

And measles were nice and a lie warn’t a lie,

Life would be delight, —

But things couldn’t go right

For in such a sad plight

I wouldn’t be I .

If earth was heaven and now was hence,

And past was present, and false was true,

There might be some sense

But I’d be in suspense

For on such a pretense

You wouldn’t be you .

If fear was plucky, and globes were square,

And dirt was cleanly and tears were glee

Things would seem fair, —

Yet they’d all despair,

For if here was there

We wouldn’t be we .