Classic Poem

'Tis sweet to go back in memory
To days of youth so dear to me.
When we could find a secluded spot
And gather the blue forget-me-not;
And thrill at the carol of the birds,
Music too sweet to put in words.

How well we recall the glad springtime
When life was smooth as a poet's rhyme.
When one could wander among the trees
And hear the hum of the busy bees.
Then Nature donned her brightest dress,
And sweetly smiled, our hearts to bless.

The sun-lit dell where we loved to roam,
Is far away, no longer home.
And the precious moments as they fly;
Bring back my youthful days gone by.
Those long-lost days were very dear,
When earth and heaven seemed so near.

The country school where children met,
In a sacred place we can't forget.
There the ivy green and the cheerful shade
Were pleasant aids to the games we played.
But the silvery streamlet flowing on
Sings a song of grief, for some are gone.
Joys and sorrows, smiles and tears,
Cover the path of the fleeting years.
And lovely skies that were so blue,
Have changed, it seems to a darker hue.
But still with joy we'll sing the praise
Of the dear, departed, childhood days.