Classic Poem

Old Father Earth was a grim old thing
No trace of beauty had he;
Across his face ran the furrows deep,
As brown and bare as could be.

Now it chanced one day that a tiny seed
Went driven along that way;
A tiny seed in a great big world,
On a shivering Winter's day.

This old Father Earth, beneath his crust,
A pitiful heart had he;
He whispered: “Little one, come, I pray,
Find rest and refuge with me.”

The little seed turned, and trembling said:
“I'm so very small you see,
Whilst you stretch away for many a rood;
I'm afraid you won't care for me!”

“Not care for thee, little one?—Ha, ha!”
And the old brown Earth laughed he;
“If I am so big, the more room there is
In my heart of hearts for thee.”

“What will you give to me, Father Earth,
Pray what will you give to me?”
Then the brown Earth folded the seed to himself,
And made answer tenderly:

“All that I have I will give to thee,
All that I can be is thine:
For thee the very seasons are set
And the very heavens do shine.”

“What will you do with me, Father Earth,
Pray what will you do with me?”
“I will make thee root and flower and fruit,
And thou shalt be fair to see.”

Then to rest the little seed sank down
In the love that held it tight;
He covered it up, and he tucked it in,
And bade it a sweet good-night.

So the time slipped by, and Father Earth
Held his treasure faithfully,
Till the seed sent down a tiny root,
And thrust up its head to see.

And day after day the sun it shone,
And gently fell the shower,
Until at last in its stateliness
There stood the perfect flower.

But still the fair face is downward bent,
And it whispers tenderly,
“Though my head is in heaven, dear old Earth,
I'm not going away from thee.”

And the old brown Earth, he laughed again:
“Ah, what hast thou done for me!
I was but a clod all brown and bare,
And now I am part of thee.

“A thousandfold hast thou paid me back
The little 'twas mine to give;
Uplifted, transformed, and crowned in thee,
Thou hast shown me how to live.”