Living

Rosamond C. Bailey

by James Whitcomb Riley 1849–1916

From The Old Soldier's Story (1915)

Living

Thou brave, good woman! Loved of every one;
Not only that in singing thou didst fill
Our thirsty hearts with sweetness, trill on trill,
Even as a wild bird singing in the sun--
Not only that in all thy carols none
But held some tincturing of tears to thrill
Our gentler natures, and to quicken still
Our human sympathies; but thou hast won
Our equal love and reverence because
That thou wast ever mindful of the poor,
And thou wast ever faithful to thy friends.
So, loving, serving all, thy best applause
Thy requiem--the vast throng at the door
Of the old church, with mute prayers and amens.

MLA

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Rosamond C. Bailey.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/491/.

Chicago

Riley, James Whitcomb. “Rosamond C. Bailey.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/riley/491/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by James Whitcomb Riley