A Child's Prayer
Jesus bless my little doll,
I did not mean to hurt at all;
and make her whole and well again
and let her still be my best friend.
And bless my little teddy bear
that snuggles up and hears my prayer.
And keep him happy, just like me
Singing little songs to Thee.
Bless my Mom and bless my Dad
and Laurie, Stevie, Wick and Chad.
For they are really children too,
or so they said we're all to you.
Mother says it's time for bed,
and tho I'd rather play instead-
I guess it's better to obey-
tomorrow is another day.
So watch me sweetly all night thru
and keep me safe and sound with you.
That we may roam about Thy bower
and play with moonbeams hour on hour.
Oh dear Lord how sweet to be
with Thee throughout eternity!
When I Went Out To Play
Heaven bless my mom and dad
and do not make them oh so sad
when I forget and am quite bad.
I didn't mean a harm today-
just thought it would be fun to play
in all the mud that was outside.
And Boxer too had lots of fun,
and when we were all wet and done,
Mama cried—** You naughty boy!
How could you get so wet with joy?
I think that I shall paddle you-
but seeing that the harm is thru
I guess that I will have to do
the next best thing and clean you up—
you and your muddy, scraggly pup!
Why did you go and disobey
and play in all the mud today?
Oh well, I guess your father too
played just the same, when young like you.
So off to bed and have a dream
of muddy forts and rushing stream.
And remember well this day
when you went out in mud to play."
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
My Dog
Waggle-tail, he's my dog
and tho he sleeps just like a log
at any strange, suspicious sound
he perks right up and looks around
and gives a little warning cry
as if to say "You'll not pass by!"
So tho he sleeps for hours on end
I think he only half pretends,
for nothing seems to pass him by—
that rolling, roving, sleeping eye.
I think he knows quite all we do....
It goes with his approval too.
Laugh
Laugh a little-laugh and sing
Pleasing is its happy ring;
Notice all along the way,
Be happy over little things.
Gather joy as gather gold
to fill your heart as you grow old.
A smile here, a smile there
is quite as good as jewels to wear.
Where are little frets and pouts?
Long ago forgot about.
If in your heart a smile you wear
Sure enough you find out there
that others smile back at you
and so life goes on smiling through.
Quickly all your work is done
and smiling heart meets setting sun.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Small
I have a friend, and tho she's small
She doesn't seem that way at all.
It seems to me that she's all right
but people say that she is light.
Well I don't care if she's so small-
It doesn't bother me at all,
For I am not so big you see
and she is not much less than me.
We don't care what people say-
I guess the Lord made us that way.
And He must know what he's about,
But he won’t let his secrets out.
So we are small but we don't care,
For God our father put us there.
Youth
Where are the happy hours that flew
by me so swift the whole year thru?
I can't imagine where they went,
those happy times that I have spent.
But Mother says in memory
some day I'll cherish them, I'll see-
and then I'll know where happy days
were secretly oh tucked away.
So when the later sun comes out
they'll melt and run and flow about-
And make for smiles along the way....
Those happy, carefree, childish days.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
The Moon
The moon seems magic in the sky
as fleecy clouds go drifting by.
It's always different, I declare
Sometimes so big, sometimes not there.
It seems so strange that in the sky
it teases me up there on high.
It seems that tho I try my might
I do not know just how tonight
the moon will look-if big or small
or silver slivers over all.
But tho I never seem to know
It doesn't bother it at all-
It just goes right on shining there
For all to see, up in the air.
* Fuzzy-Wuzzy
A fuzzy-wuzzy followed me
right to my favorite apple tree.
And slowly up the bark he went
so happy at the lark he spent.
But when he was just half way up
he suddenly came to a stop,
and all confused it seemed to me
just what to do in that old tree.
Should he go to the very top?
Or stop when he was half way up?
Should he go up or amble down
or was it better on the ground?
He didn't know just what to do,
and so it is with me and you-
and when we wander far from home
we get confused like fuzzy dome
and wonder why we came out there
when everything was way back where
just in the place we started from
when we took off to leave our home.
So tho we think of things out there
and other climes seem oh so fair,
perhaps it's better yet by far
to stay at home where our folks are
and wait a little while yet
before we leave our little nest.
* Caterpillar
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Rain
Sparkle dew, and drops of rain
Sparkling on the window pane-
Seeing in and seeing out,
That's what life and love's about.
Seeing 'round and seeing through
Seeing straight and seeing true.
Looking at the stars above
But not forgetting all we love
that lies for us just waiting here
for us to love and hold it near.
Where is hate and where is fear?
and all the loud words that we hear?
Never on my window pane
for God has washed it clean with rain.
So I see in and I see out,
and look at all the world about.
And far as any eye can see
blessings heaped for you and me.
All of them just waiting there
for every soul on earth to share.
And just when they seem running out,
God again heaps all about.
And keeps the blessings flowing free
Just for you and just for me.
So do not fret and do not pout;
Heavenly riches ne'er run out,
but flow like air and flow like sea
as ever shall God's riches be.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Mother's Prayer
May Thou watch me day by day
in all I do and all I say
and let me be oh good for those
I love, and all I hold so close.
Help my little ones be good
and try to do the things they should.
Do not let them ever stray
and cause me grief on some dark day.
Bless our little home, not much
but we love it still as such.
Let us linger close to Thee
and ever sweet and temperate be.
Let me wear my wedding ring
with pride and love that ever sing.
Hold our daddy in Thy care
and bless and keep him ever there.
And all Thy children far and near
we pray that Thy sweet voice will hear
and follow Thee into Thy Peace
and let our restless struggles cease.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Sailing
I sailed my boat upon the brine
nor wind nor waves shook off the line.
Really, it was just the pond
that my small boat was sailing on-
but in my mind I sailed it far
to other lands I guess that are.
I was captain of my ship
and never let my fingers slip
from off the line that led it there
to other lands and other fare.
Lord Bless My Pup
Lord bless my puppy, he's so small
You'd hardly notice him at all.
And when he goes outside to play
oh do not let him run away.
For if he's gone I'd be so sad
that nothing else could make me glad.
For Boxer means so much to me,
He's all I have, dear Lord, you see
that I can call my very own-
so bless him in our happy home.
And let him live his life with me
And oh I thank you, you will see.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Laughs
A laugh is very good they say
to chase those awful blues away-
a chuckle here, a tale there
and we forget our frets and cares.
A funny face or little joke
and gone is all that heavy yoke;
And things don't seem that bad at all
when we that funny thing recall.
My Friend
I have a friend and off we went
and many happy hours we spent.
We lay in soft green grass a while
and told our secrets mile on mile-
Things that weary other ears-
all our hopes and all our fears.
And how the neighbor's dog did bite
a passing stranger one dark night.
And how our precious sticks and stones
were stored away like Red's old bones.
But we won't tell a thing we said,
But lie awake and think in bed
of all the secrets that we share
that no one else will ever hear.
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
Where?
Where are the days I guess I spent
when I was still a baby yet?
I cannot seem to quite recall
or yet remember them at all.
They say that I was cute and fine
and funny things did time to time.
Mothers have this special gift
of baby love and baby kiss,
and somewhere in their memory
are things we said, I do believe.
But where was I?....I can't recall
But mother seems to know it all.
I guess that I will never know
the things I did when I was small.
Leaves
Where are the leaves upon the tree
that danced up high for you and me?
Whither did they go, I say.....
I see them on the ground today-
Lying 'round in colored heaps
Red and yellow I can keep.
They must have come that I can play
and make a leaf-house here today,
And take a favorite few inside
to keep with me till I decide
which ones to make arrangements of
and which to give to Mom with love.
Oh!
Apples hanging on the tree
They are red and ripe I see.
How I wish that one would fall
and I'd eat it, seeds and all.
And then I'd wonder if inside
a tree would grow and make me cry.
Maybe I should not oh be
Quite so anxious for a tree!
Rain
Why is there all this rain today
Just when I promised Butch to play?
Mother makes me stay inside,
and keeps me warm with soup inside.
She doesn't seem to understand
That rain and mud are our playland.
We like to romp and shout about,
and let our inside feelings out.
Why don't they ever understand
that rain is fun in our playland?
Back to top
Back to Dream of Youth
