Legacy Poem by George Wootton

What gift have I to leave behind
for my children and theirs,
that will last for all time?
What is it of me
that they will always remember
or will my memory soon fade
as the last glowing ember?
What have I accomplished
are my goals satisfied?
Will anyone notice
or care that I've died?
Will there be any emptiness
in anyone's heart
or will they be glad
that I'm no longer a part?
No longer a part
of their everyday lives
or perhaps just an obstacle
in front of their eyes?

I pray that the memories
that I leave behind
would be of a gentle soul
thoughtful and kind.
For a soul is remembered
with smiles and with tears
for the burdens of others
one has eased through the years.
A helpful hand
when a friend is in need
or a stranger perhaps
he is willing to feed.
A sayer of good things,
a teacher of truth
a godly example
for the struggling youth.
To be a good husband,
a father and son
is the goal I have strived for
and I pray I have won.
For what else can man leave
that is forever worthwhile
than to be long remembered
with a tear and a smile?