Songs of the shining way

Chapter 14: A SORROW.

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About This Book

A collection of short, lyrical poems for children that follows a child’s imaginative progress from dawn through meadows, play, and fanciful travels along a luminous pathway. Vignettes blend simple narratives—first steps, coach rides, fairyland, voyages, and garden scenes—with reflective pieces on moonlight, insects, and rainbows, highlighting wonder, innocence, and small discoveries. The verses are compact and rhythmic, often voiced from a child’s perspective, and are accompanied by the author’s own illustrations that reinforce the gentle, dreamlike mood.

A SORROW.

The White Rat died last night.

We found him cold and stiff;

We wrapped him warm and tight.

In my best handkerchief.

Jimmy marched on before,

Bearing the poor dead Rat;

Alice deep mourning wore,

I had papa’s silk hat.

Jimmy the sermon preached,

Alice and I just cried.

That was a noble speech,

Worthy the Rat that died.

We made him a tiny grave.

Down in the shadow dim

Where the willow hedge-rows wave

We solemnly buried him.

Jimmy and Alice and I

Went sadly back to our play.

But there’s a cloud in the sky,

And a shade on the Shining Way.