Dedication
TO MY MOTHER
Who ever watched with loving care
My childhood’s tender years.
She ever soothed my little woes,
And kissed away my tears.
She guided me o’er Life’s rough road,
And pointed out the snares,
And pitfalls that are e’er in life;
And all the many tares,
And brambles that beset Life’s paths,
And if I fell by way,
She helped me up with loving hands,
And tender words alway.
Contents
AUTUMN LEAVES.
The autumn leaves are like our lives,
They serve their purpose for a day,
They then return to mother Earth:
They come but to decay.
The trees are gaunt, gaunt sentinels,
Deprived of their warm dress.
They shiver in their nakedness,
And moan in their distress.
But, as with us, they live again,
Again have garments fresh and new,
And though they seem to die to earth,
Again their lives renew.
Again the joy of living comes,
And brighter now is their new life;
They had a season of sweet sleep,
And rest from worldly strife.