TO make this house my very own Could not be done by law alone. Though covenant and deed convey Absolute fee, as lawyers say, There are domestic rites beside By which this house is sanctified. By kindled fire upon the hearth, By planted pansies in the garth, By food, and by the quiet rest Of those brown eyes that I love best, And by a friend's bright gift of wine, I dedicate this house of mine. When all but I are soft abed I trail about my quiet stead A wreath of blue tobacco smoke (A charm that evil never broke) And bring my ritual to an end By giving shelter to a friend. These done, O dwelling, you become Not just a house, but truly Home! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...COLLEGE DRINKING SONG by GEORGE SANTAYANA THE WATER-LILY by JOHN BANISTER TABB DROUTH WILL BE ENDED by GLADYS NAOMI ARNOLD THE FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS by JOEL BARLOW THE LAST MAN: A DREAM by THOMAS LOVELL BEDDOES |