Classic Poem

His overalls hung on the hook by his hat, and I noticed his pockets were bulging out fat.
So I emptied them out in a pile on the chair, and I tenderly touched ev'ry treasure with care:

—There were three rubber bands, a parking lot ticket,
—Two paper clips and a fishing cricket,
—A camphor ball and an empty match box,
—A half dozen nails and a couple of rocks,
—A yellow golf tee, two lollypop sticks,
—A marble, a spool and three tooth picks,
—A knife and a pencil, some dry corn silk,
—A wire and a cap from a bottle of milk,
—A rusty door key and a white chicken feather,
—An old clock gear and a piece of leather,
—A flash-light bulb and three or four strings,
—A broken dog biscuit and two hair springs.

Then I gathered them up, all his “treasures” so grand—ev'ry rock, ev'ry nail and each rubber band,
And I put them all back, then I kissed him good-night, and he smiled in his sleep as I turned out the light.
And I thrilled as I thought of the fun and the joy such trivial things could give to a boy.

His overalls hung on the hook by his hat, and I noticed his pockets were bulging out fat.
So I emptied them out in a pile on the chair, and I tenderly touched ev'ry treasure with care:

—There were three rubber bands, a parking lot ticket,
—Two paper clips and a fishing cricket,
—A camphor ball and an empty match box,
—A half dozen nails and a couple of rocks,
—A yellow golf tee, two lollypop sticks,
—A marble, a spool and three tooth picks,
—A knife and a pencil, some dry corn silk,
—A wire and a cap from a bottle of milk,
—A rusty door key and a white chicken feather,
—An old clock gear and a piece of leather,
—A flash-light bulb and three or four strings,
—A broken dog biscuit and two hair springs.

Then I gathered them up, all his “treasures” so grand—ev'ry rock, ev'ry nail and each rubber band,
And I put them all back, then I kissed him good-night, and he smiled in his sleep as I turned out the light.
And I thrilled as I thought of the fun and the joy such trivial things could give to a boy.