The pansies in their patch of shade,The violets, stolen from a glade,The bleeding hearts and columbine,Have long been garden friends of mine;But memory every summer flocksAbout a clump of hollyhocks.The mother loved them years ago;Beside the fence they used to grow,And though the garden changed each yearAnd certain blooms would disappearTo give their places in…
And through it all the soul must dreamAnd try to play a manly game;Dirt, dust and steam and harsh commands,Yet many a soft hand passes byAnd only thinks he understandsThe purpose of my task and why.I’ve seen men shudder just to seeMe standing at this lathe of mine,And knew somehow they pitied me,But I have…
Let us travel it with kindness, let’s be careful as we tread,And give unto the living what we’d offer to the dead.The pathway of the living we can beautify and grace;We can line it deep with roses and make earth a happier place.But we’ve done all mortals can do, when our prayers are softly saidFor…
Where shall I find the bliss to be,Where shall the weary wanderings cease?These are the questions that come to me,Where is the road to Arcady?Is there a mystic time and placeTo which some day shall the traveler fare,Where there is never a frowning faceAnd never a burden hard to bear,Where we as children shall romp…
None had ever seen his face and none could tell his name.Yet they greeted him with cheers and welcomed him with songs.‘Who is he?’ I asked of men, standing by my side.‘No one knows, they answered me, pausing then to cheer.‘Once a year he comes to us through the streets to ride.Comes to crown his…
And in the conversation’s humI lost it ere I could begin it.I’ve had it on my tongue to springSome poisoned quip that I thought clever;Then something happened and the stingUnuttered went, and died forever.A lot of bitter thoughts I’ve hadTo silence fellows and to flay ’em,But next day always I’ve been gladI wasn’t quick enough…
But I ‘m treading just as gayly, just as bravely toward tomorrow,And I ‘m looking for the sunshine, but I ‘m ready for the rain.Always hoping for the best,For the peace and perfect rest,Always hoping for the sunshine and the roses dripping dew;But should gloom and sadness come,They will find me never glum,I will greet…
Or never hurled a snowball swiftAt someone’s high silk hat.Who never ran away from school,To seek the swimming hole;Or slyly from a neighbor’s yardGreen apples never stole.Show me the boy who never brokeA pane of window glass;Who never disobeyed the signThat says: ‘Keep off the grass.’Who never did a thousand things,That grieve us sore to…
You can hear it wherever you chance to stray:‘Just like a man!’The wife of the toiler, the queen of the king,The bride with the shiny new wedding-ringAnd the grandmothers, too, at our sex will fling,‘Just like a man!’Cranky and peevish at times we grow:‘Just like a man!’Now and then boastful of what we know:‘Just like…
Some vicious habits, too, I had,But wouldn’t change them if I could.I held my head up high and said:‘I’m all that I have need to be,It matters not what path I tread,’But that was ere you came to me.I treated lightly sacred things,And went my way in search of fun,Upon myself I kept no strings,And…
