Poems by Edgar Albert Guest

All Poems Original Poems Translations

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It's September

It's September, and the orchards are afire with red and gold,

And the nights with dew are heavy, and the morning's sharp with cold;

Now the garden's at its gayest with the salvia blazing red

And the good old-fashioned asters laughing at us from their bed;

Once again in shoes and stockings are the children's little feet,

And the dog now does his snoozing on the bright side of the street.

It's September, and the cornstalks are as high as they will go,

And the red cheeks of the apples everywhere begin to show;

Edgar Albert Guest

A Friend

A friend is one who stands to share

Your every touch of grief and care.

He comes by chance, but stays by choice;

Your praises he is quick to voice.

No grievous fault or passing whim

Can make an enemy of him.

And though your need be great or small,

His strength is yours throughout it all.

Edgar Albert Guest

Can't

Can't is the worst word that's written or spoken;

Doing more harm here than slander and lies;

On it is many a strong spirit broken,

And with it many a good purpose dies.

It springs from the lips of the thoughtless each morning

And robs us of courage we need through the day:

It rings in our ears like a timely-sent warning

And laughs when we falter and fall by the way.

Edgar Albert Guest

The Chaplain

He was just a small church parson when the war broke out, and he

Looked and dressed and acted like all parsons that we see.

He wore the cleric's broadcloth and he hooked his vest behind,

But he had a man's religion and he had a strong man's mind,

And he heard the call to duty, and he quit his church and went,

And he bravely tramped right with 'em everywhere the boys were sent.

He put aside his broadcloth and he put the khaki on;

Said he'd come to be a soldier and was going to live like one.

Edgar Albert Guest

Lemon Pie

The world is full of gladness,

There are joys of many kinds,

There's a cure for every sadness,

That each troubled mortal finds.

And my little cares grow lighter

And I cease to fret and sigh,

And my eyes with joy grow brighter

When she makes a lemon pie.

Edgar Albert Guest

Tomorrow

He was going to be all that a mortal should be

Tomorrow.

No one should be kinder or braver than he

Tomorrow.

A friend who was troubled and weary he knew,

Who'd be glad of a lift and who needed it, too;

On him he would call and see what he could do

Tomorrow.

Edgar Albert Guest

As Fall The Leaves

As fall the leaves, so drop the days

In silence from the tree of life;

Born for a little while to blaze

In action in the heat of strife,

And then to shrivel with Time's blast

And fade forever in the past.

In beauty once the leaf was seen;

To all it offered gentle shade;

Edgar Albert Guest

See It Through

When you're up against a trouble,

Meet it squarely, face to face;

Lift your chin and set your shoulders,

Plant your feet and take a brace.

When it's vain to try to dodge it,

Do the best that you can do;

You may fail, but you may conquer,

See it through!

Edgar Albert Guest

The Broken Drum

There is sorrow in the household;

There's a grief too hard to bear;

There's a little cheek that's tear-stained

There's a sobbing baby there.

And try how we will to comfort,

Still the tiny teardrops come;

For, to solve a vexing problem,

Curly Locks has wrecked his drum.

Edgar Albert Guest

Equipment

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You've all that the greatest of men have had,

Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,

And a brain to use if you would be wise.

With this equipment they all began,

So start for the top and say "I can."

Look them over, the wise and great,

They take their food from a common plate

Edgar Albert Guest

A Child Of Mine

I will lend you, for a little time,

A child of mine, He said.

For you to love the while he lives,

And mourn for when he's dead.

It may be six or seven years,

Or twenty-two or three.

But will you, till I call him back,

Take care of him for Me?

Edgar Albert Guest

My Creed

To live as gently as I can;

To be, no matter where, a man;

To take what comes of good or ill

And cling to faith and honor still;

To do my best, and let that stand

The record of my brain and hand;

And then, should failure come to me,

Still work and hope for victory.

Edgar Albert Guest