To All Parents

To All Parents

"I'll lend you for a while 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?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and should
his stay be brief,
You'll have his lovely memories as solace for
your grief.

I cannot promise he will stay; since all from
earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there I
want this child to learn.
I've looked the wide world over in My search
for teachers true
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes
I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love, not think
the labor vain, Nor hate Me when I come to call to take him back again?"

I fancied that I that I heard them say, "Dear Lord,
Thy will be done!
For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the
risk of grief we run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll
love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've known, forever
grateful stay;
But should the angels call for him much sooner
than we've planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and
try to understand."

Edgar A. Guest