MEET THE CHALLENGE

  The coddled youth, like greenhouse plant
  Will wilt and die in desert sand,
  Can never meet the storms of life,
  Untried and mild and soft his hands.

  He walks within the favored nooks,
  Protected there much more than those,
  Who meet the challenge face ahead,
  And struggle on to conquer foes.

  They learn to take the gaff and thrust,
  And from an inner courage gain
  A faith in toil and love of truth;
  They pray to God to ease the pain.

WINTER

  A glow of life shines from the leaf-stripped limbs,
  In sheltered nooks snowbirds are singing hymns. 
  The sycamore shafts gleam and shine afar,
  Down by the river where the black oaks are. 
  The goldenrod now droops his fuzzy head;
  There by my fence, leaves make a fluffy bed. 
  They mulch my flower seed down in the loam;
  Beyond below the tall sedge grasses moan. 
  Seared grass curls firmly over tender sprigs,
  And my rose bush there curves its brown thorned twigs. 
  Beneath my window, tulip bulbs lay snug,
  Quite safe and warm in earthy winter rug. 
  All nature resting for a springtime gain,
  And quiet gray tones soothe an inner pain.

DREAMING BY THE RIVER

  Ripples on the water
  Rustling in the trees
  Wind sighing gently
  Whistling by with ease. 
  Cow-bells tinkling distant
  Farmer on the lea,
  Cattle nibbling grasses
  Little honey bee. 
  Frosted leaves of autumn
  Sailing down the stream. 
  Neatest clump of willows,
  Oh, for some ice cream.

WHEN YOU COME HOME

  O happy, happy heart, that can but leap
  For joy, when you return to me again;
  The love within grows fresh as morning glen,
  Awakes and lights the gloom where shadows creep. 
  —­The night will come and with it women weep. 
  Stay, Dear, with me, for dark will come and then,
  It fills the soul with fear—­don’t go again—­
  Black clouds will roll, when only children sleep. 
  O Darling storms of midnight vex and threat;
  The gullies moan and then the goblins see! 
  It is not wise or brave to prattle so;
  And Dear, if you must go, I will not fret;
  The sun will shine when you come home to me,
  Dark night is day and only mild winds blow.

CHILDREN AT THE PARK

  We hop and skip in time
  In the shade of the sycamore trees,
  Fly around like the birds and the bees.

  We swing and sway and climb
  To the top of the strong monkey bars,
  Watch the boats and the Riverside cars.

  We swim and shout in glee,
  While the ships on the river sail on. 
  How time flies and the morning is gone.

  We leap and prance about
  And we sing by the Riverside drive. 
  Thus we play and we eat and we thrive.