Small is my secret-let it pass-
Small in your life the share I had,
Who sat beside you in the class,
Awed by the bright superior lad:
Whom yet with hot and eager face
I prompted when he missed his place.
For you the call came swift and soon:
But sometimes in your holidays
You meet me trudging home at noon
To dinner through the dusty ways,
And recognized, and with a nod
Passed on, but never guessed-thank God!
Truly our ways were separate.
I bent myself to hoe and drill,
Yea, with an honest man to mate,
Fulfilling God Almighty’s will;
And bore him children. But my prayers
Were yours-and, only after, theirs.
While you-still loftier, more remote,
You sprang from stair to stair of fame,
And you’ve a riband on your coat,
And you’ve a title to your name;
But have you yet a star to shine
Above your bed, as I o’er mine?
(Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch)
More Poetry from Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch:
Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems based on Topics: God, Name, Prayers, Children, Place, Fame, Honesty & Integrity- A Letter (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
- Fire! (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
- Anecdote For Fathers (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
- Christmas Eve (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
- De Tea Fabula (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
- Almer Mater (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: God Poems, Place Poems, Name Poems, Prayers Poems, Children Poems, Fame Poems, Honesty & Integrity PoemsBased on Keywords: riband, yours-and