Edgar Albert Guest Poems

GARDENING is hardening
In every way you view it;
It makes a fellow hustle,
And it strengthens every muscle;
...

A smudge on his nose and a smear on his cheek
And knees that might not have been washed in a week;
A bump on his forehead, a scar on his lip,
...

I do not say new friends are not considerate and true,
Or that their smiles ain't genuine, but still I'm tellin' you
That when a feller's heart is crushed and achin' with the pain,
...

The road to laughter beckons me,
The road to all that's best;
The home road where I nightly see
...

Sure, they get stubborn at times; they worry and
fret us a lot,
But I'd rather be crossed by a glad little boy
and frequently worried than not.
...

I don't know what they'll put him at, or what
his post may be;
I cannot guess the task that waits for him across
the sea,
...

If nobody smiled and nobody cheered and nobody helped us along,
If each every minute looked after himself and good things all went to the
strong,
If nobody cared just a little for you, and nobody thought about me,
And we stood all alone to the battle of life, what a dreary old world it
would be!
...

He little knew the sorrow that was in his vacant chair;
He never guessed they'd miss him, or he'd surely have been there;
He couldn't see his mother or the lump that filled her throat,
...

How do you tackle your work each day?
Are you scared of the job you find?
Do you grapple the task that comes your way
...

You can buy, if you've got money, all you need to drink and eat,
You can pay for bread and honey, and can keep your palate sweet.
But when trouble comes to fret you, and when sorrow comes your way,
For the gentle hand of friendship that you need you cannot pay.
...