Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, MOTHER, by MARY ELIZABETH MAPES DODGE



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

MOTHER, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Early one summer morning
Last Line: "we gathered them for you."
Subject(s): Mothers


EARLY one summer morning,
I saw two children pass,
Their footsteps slow, yet lithesome,
Scarce bent the tender grass.
One lately out of babyhood
Looked up with eager eyes;
The other watched her wistfully
Oppressed with smothered sighs.
"See, mother," cried the little one,
"I gathered them for you,
The sweetest flowers and lilies,--
And Mabel has some too."
"Hush, Nellie," whispered Mabel,
"We have not reached it yet,
Wait till we get there, my darling,
It isn't far, my pet."
"Get where?" asked Nellie, "tell me."
"To the church-yard," Mabel said.
"No! no!" cried little Nellie,
And shook her sunny head.
Still Mabel whispered sadly.
"We must take them to the grave,
Come, darling"; and the childish voice
Tried to be clear and brave.
But Nellie still kept calling
Far up into the blue:
"See, mother, see how pretty!
We gathered them for you."

And when her sister pleaded,
And cried and would not go--
"Angels don't live in church-yards;
My mother don't, I know."

Then Mabel bent and kissed her.
"So be it, dear," she said,
"We'll take them to the arbor
And lay them there instead,
For mother loved it dearly,
It was the sweetest place!"
And the joy that came to Nellie
Shone up in Mabel's face.

I saw them turn and follow
A path with blossoms bright
Until the nodding branches
Concealed them from my sight.
But still, like sweetest music,
The winds came ringing through:
"See, mother, see how pretty!
We gathered them for you."





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