At the Bars of Memory and Other Poems/To a Departed Friend

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1772093To a Departed FriendAndrew Francis Lockhart

TO A DEPARTED FRIEND

Just say that he lived a little while;
That he lov'd to laugh an' loved to smile;
That he lov'd the birds, the trees, the flowers;
That he bow'd in reverence to God's great powers.

Just say that he knew a few human laws;
That his own code was not without its flaws;
That he could discern between black an' white;
That he drew a line between wrong an' right.

Just say that he lived his sun-blest day—
An' fell asleep by the side o' the way
He lov'd to follow, ere conquerin' death
Touched the core o' his heart, an' stilled his breath.

Just say that his life was not without woe:
That he knew the heartaches most mortals know;
That he tried to be brave when things look'd gray;
That he knew what it meant to hit the clay.

Just say that he lived to love an' learn;
That he sought to give o' his best in turn;
That he learned the lessons in life's hard school:
That he tried to live close to the golden rule.

Just say that he loved the good things in life;
That he yearned for peace in hours o' strife;
That he made his fight on a clean-cut plan;
That he faced the issues like a man.

Just say that he lived a few fleetin' days,
Seekin' neither wealth nor fame nor praise;
That he liv'd until the shadows grew deep—
Lived a little while—an' then fell asleep.