Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Quotes
Short Stories
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Resources
Syllable Counter
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 3.145.59.165
From Email:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
A day of seeming innocence, A glorious sun and sky, And, just above my picket fence, Black Bonnet passing by. In knitted gloves and quaint old dress, Without a spot or smirch, Her worn face lit with peacefulness, Old Granny goes to church. Her hair is richly white, like milk, That long ago was fair -- And glossy still the old black silk She keeps for "chapel wear"; Her bonnet, of a bygone style, That long has passed away, She must have kept a weary while Just as it is to-day. The parasol of days gone by -- Old days that seemed the best -- The hymn and prayer books carried high Against her warm, thin breast; As she had clasped -- come smiles come tears, Come hardship, aye, and worse -- On market days, through faded years, The slender household purse. Although the road is rough and steep, She takes it with a will, For, since she hushed her first to sleep Her way has been uphill. Instinctively I bare my head (A sinful one, alas!) Whene'er I see, by church bells led, Brave Old Black Bonnet pass. For she has known the cold and heat And dangers of the Track: Has fought bush-fires to save the wheat And little home Out Back. By barren creeks the Bushman loves, By stockyard, hut, and pen, The withered hands in those old gloves Have done the work of men. ..... They called it "Service" long ago When Granny yet was young, And in the chapel, sweet and low, As girls her daughters sung. And when in church she bends her head (But not as others do) She sees her loved ones, and her dead And hears their voices too. Fair as the Saxons in her youth, Not forward, and not shy; And strong in healthy life and truth As after years went by: She often laughed with sinners vain, Yet passed from faith to sight -- God gave her beauty back again The more her hair grew white. She came out in the Early Days, (Green seas, and blue -- and grey) -- The village fair, and English ways, Seemed worlds and worlds away. She fought the haunting loneliness Where brooding gum trees stood; And won through sickness and distress As Englishwomen could. ..... By verdant swath and ivied wall The congregation's seen -- White nothings where the shadows fall, Black blots against the green. The dull, suburban people meet And buzz in little groups, While down the white steps to the street A quaint old figure stoops. And then along my picket fence Where staring wallflowers grow -- World-wise Old Age, and Common-sense! -- Black Bonnet, nodding slow. But not alone; for on each side A little dot attends In snowy frock and sash of pride, And these are Granny's friends. To them her mind is clear and bright, Her old ideas are new; They know her "real talk" is right, Her "fairy talk" is true. And they converse as grown-ups may, When all the news is told; The one so wisely young to-day, The two so wisely old. At home, with dinner waiting there, She smooths her hair and face, And puts her bonnet by with care And dons a cap of lace. The table minds its p's and q's Lest one perchance be hit By some rare dart which is a part Of her old-fashioned wit. ..... Her son and son's wife are asleep, She puts her apron on -- The quiet house is hers to keep, With all the youngsters gone. There's scarce a sound of dish on dish Or cup slipped into cup, When left alone, as is her wish, Black Bonnet "washes up."
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required