Representative Poetry Online

Random Poem of the Day

1Still sits the school-house by the road,
2  A ragged beggar sleeping;
4  And blackberry-vines are creeping.
5Within, the master's desk is seen,
6  Deep scarred by raps official;
7The warping floor, the battered seats,
8  The jack-knife's carved initial;
9The charcoal frescos on its wall;
10  Its door's worn sill, betraying
11The feet that, creeping slow to school,
12  Went storming out to playing!
13Long years ago a winter sun
14  Shone over it at setting;
15Lit up its western window-panes,
16  And low eaves' icy fretting.
17It touched the tangled golden curls,
18  And brown eyes full of grieving,
19Of one who still her steps delayed
20  When all the school were leaving.
21For near her stood the little boy
22  Her childish favor singled:
23His cap pulled low upon a face
24  Where pride and shame were mingled.
25Pushing with restless feet the snow
26  To right and left, he lingered; --
27As restlessly her tiny hands
28  The blue-checked apron fingered.
29He saw her lift her eyes; he felt
30  The soft hand's light caressing,
31And heard the tremble of her voice,
32  As if a fault confessing.
33"I'm sorry that I spelt the word:
34  I hate to go above you,
35Because," -- the brown eyes lower fell, --
36  "Because, you see, I love you!"
37Still memory to a gray-haired man
38  That sweet child-face is showing.
39Dear girl! the grasses on her grave
40  Have forty years been growing!
41He lives to learn, in life's hard school,
42  How few who pass above him
43Lament their triumph and his loss,
44  Like her, -- because they love him.

Notes

3] sumachs: shrub or small tree whose leaves are used in tanning. Back to Line