The House by the Side of a Road

(1890–1911) by Sam Walter Foss

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;

There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran —
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by —
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner’s seat
Nor hurl the cynic’s ban —
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan —
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still, I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.

Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by —
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish — so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner’s seat,
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

My WP friends, I have a deep love of poetry. Many speak to me in deep and enduring ways. I heard the above poem for the first time last week and wanted to share it with the poetry lovers out there.

Please feel free to share your thoughts or other great poems with me.

Thank you!

Published by gifted50

I am a lover of God, most things from nature, (not worms or snakes) and photography. I love dancing, music, reading, learning new things. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend. I am a Registered (Emergency Room) Nurse by profession. The intent behind this blog is to share tips on how we can become healthier and better versions of ourselves as we journey life's road together. I write about my life experiences, health, childhood lessons, my relationship with God and man and heed the promptings of the Holy Spirit. So let us journey alongside each other. "Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can" ~ Louisa May Alcott. View more posts

9 thoughts on “Poem - The House By the Side of the Road”

So touching my friend❣️❤️
Words to connect the world. At the very least a beautiful beginning.
Thank you. ❤️🤗

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Pene, this is a poem from my childhood. I had forgotten it til now. It reminds me of my mother, who also loved poetry. Thank you for posting it! 🙂

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gifted50 says:

June 26, 2021 at 11:07 am

Such a good memory for you.
I only heard of it last week end and I fell in love with it.

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I like that poem, too, Pene. I also like “If,” by Rudyard Kipling. I’ve also seen an adaptation of it called “If for Girls,” but I can’t put my hands on it at the moment.

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