At the Bars of Memory and Other Poems/We Loved Him So
WE LOVED HIM SO
He knew not the volumes o' long treasur'd lore,
Nor thought of the fray, with its hatred an' gore;
Cared little for honors an' places o' fame,
An' the world will ne'er thrill at the sound o' his name;
But he lov'd all mankind on the highway o' life;
He lov'd nature's wild haunts, far away from the strife;
He was kind to his fellows, the high an' the low;
An' his friends would oft whisper: "We all love him so!"
He liv'd in a house by the side of the road.
An' a hundred times over would share the sad load
Of a wanderin' pilgrim who stopp'd in the shade
For a moment o' rest. While the warm sunshine play'd
On the face of the man with his cheery, "hello"—
An' the travelers could not help lovin' him so.
They all lov'd him so, though the man knew it not
As he wav'd a farewell from his vine-cover'd cot.
He's sleepin' today beneath the shelterin' trees
That sob to the flow'rs, as the sweet summer breeze
Prints a kiss on the mound o'er the last restin' spot
Of the man that we lov'd, though he reckoned it not.
An' when the Great Author shall call the last roll
I know He will honor that friendly old soul.
W h o gave o' his love an' would lighten the load
Of the man who walk'd by on the long, weary road!