Dear patient face and placid brow,
Dear lips that smiled despite of pain,
Brave toil-worn hands, so helpful now,
Sweet spirit free from earthly stain.
Within the doorway Mother stands,
The while a merry barefoot lad,
Across the springtime meadow-lands
Goes whistling schoolward, blithe and glad;
And where the pathway breasts the hill,
I stay my steps and turn to hear
Her loving voice, as lingering still,
She calls, “Good-bye! God bless you, dear.”
Dear patient face and furrowed brow,
Dear lips that smile thro’ all life’s pain,
Brave toil-worn hands, so weary now,
Sweet soul unmarred by earthly stain.
Within the doorway Mother stands,
The while a man oppressed with care,
Across the waning Autumn lands,
Goes toil-ward, fain to strive and bear;
And where the pathway breasts the hill,
I stay my steps and turn to hear
Her trembling voice, as ling’ring still,
She calls, “Good-bye! God bless you, dear.”
Dear peaceful face and placid brow,
Dear lips that smile secure from pain,
Brave toil-worn hands, soft-folded now,
Sweet spirit freed from earthly stain.
Within God’s portal Mother stands,
The while a man forspent with care
Seeketh the far-off meadow-lands,
By faith made strong to strive and bear.
And as I breast life’s weary hill,
I ofttimes pause–meseems I hear
The well-loved accents breathing still
The old fond prayer, “God bless you, dear.”
(Leigh Gordon Giltner)
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Based on Topics: Man Poems, God Poems, Pain Poems, Prayers Poems, Courage PoemsBased on Keywords: unmarred, meadow-lands, forspent