Poems (Argent)/Willie Boy

by Alice Emily Argent

WILLIE BOY.

AND art thou fast asleep, my child, my fairest and my first,
Wrapped in the arms of Morpheus by unseen spirits nurst?

Art dreaming now of unknown things, perchance of angels bright,
That watch around thy little bed in the long summer night?

Thy little hands are folded, thy head sinks on my breast,
And thou movest not a muscle, thou art so sound at rest;

Yet ever and anon thine eyes look up with rapture wild!
As if thou knewest, darling, thou wert my first-born child!

And oh! how I have thought of thee and longed so for thy birth,
Although I knew how frail and weak were all things born of earth;

And God has heard my fervent prayer, has sent me so much bliss,
Can anything like mother's joy, come up to joy like this?

In the long winter evenings when it was cold and chill,
When ice was on the rivers wide and snow upon the hill,

How often I have dreamt of thee, e'en fancied I could see
Thy little form come bounding in and smiling up tome!

Thy father too loves Willie boy, see how he loves to play
And pinch thy rosy cheeks and smile, and every new-born day

Doth kiss thee with a father's pride, with all a father's love,
A thing so pure and safely watched by the good God above.

But oh! when thou art older grown and lingereth by my side,
How I shall look upon thee with all a mother's pride,

How I shall lean upon thine arm and bless my noble boy,
Yet, stay, I'm looking forward to years of endless Joy.

But I must leave this flow of verse for thou beginn'st to wake,
And the sun is shining brightly, for the day is on the break;

Yet would I lay thee in "His arms," my spirit fain would tell
How it hath ever found that "He hath done things right and well!"