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If You But Knew author unknown If you but knew How my days seemed filled with dreams of you. How sometimes in the silent night, Your eyes thrill through me with their tender light. How oft I hear your voice when others speak. How you 'mid other forms I seek - Oh, love more real than though such dreams were true If you but knew. Could you but guess How you alone made all my happiness. How I am more willing for your sake To stand alone, give all and nothing take. Nor chafe to think you bound while I am free, Quite free, til death, to love you silently. Could you but guess? Could you but learn How when you doubt my truth I sadly yearn To tell you all, to stand for one brief space Unfettered, soul to soul, as face to face. To crown you queen*, my queen, til life shall end My lover and likewise my truest friend. Would you love me, dearest, as fondly in return? Could you but learn? *  changed from the original text of king (dedicated to the one who got away)

by Leontine Stanfield The ghost of a little white kitten Crying mournfully, early and late, Distracted St. Pter, the watchman, As he guarded the heavenly gate. "Say, what do you mean," said his saintship, "Coming here and behaving like that?" "I want to see Nellie, my missus," Sobbed the wee little ghost of a cat. "I know she's not happy without me, Won't you open and let me go in?" "Begone," gasped the horrified watchman, "Why the very idea is a sin; I open the gate to good angels, Not to stray little beggars liek you." "All right," mewed the little white kitten, "Though a cat I'm a good angel, too." Amazed at so bold an assertion, But aware that he must make no mistake, In silence, St. Peter long pondered, For his name a repute were at steke, Then placing the cat in his bosom With a "Whist now, and say all your prayers," He opened the heavenly portals And ascended the bright golden stairs. A little girl angel came flying, "That's my kitty, St .Peter," she cried. And, seeing the joy of their meeting, Peter let the cat angel abide. This tale is the tale of a kitten Dwelling now with the blessed above, It vanquished Death and High Heaven For the name of the kitten was Love.

To a Friend                      by Grade Stricker Dawson You entered my life in a casual way,    And saw at a glance what I needed; There were others who passed me or met me each day,    But never a one of them heeded. Perhaps you were thinking of other folks more,    Or chance simply seemed to decree it; I know there were many such chances before,    But the others - well, they didn't see it. You said just the thing I wished you would say,    And you made me believe that you meant it; I held up my head in the old galant way,    And resolved you should never repent it. There were times when encouragement means such a lot,    And a word is enough to convey it; There were others who could have, as easy as not -    But, just the same, they didn't say it. There may have been someone who could have done more    To  help me along, though I doubt it; What I needed was cheering, and always before    They had let me plod onward without it. You helped to refashion the dream of my heart,    And made me turn eagerly to it; There were others who might have (I question that part) -    But, after all, they didn't do it!

When I was young, my mother had an old black coverd book of poems that she had gotten as a gift from her mother when she was young.  From time to time I would pull that book down and look through its worn pages, reading and rereading my favorites.  When I was older and in college I was in a book store one night when a book caught my attention.  It was a reprinting of the book my grandmother had given to my mother.  I was never a person big on tradition, but as I get older I am finding it is more and more important to me to keep these silly little things from my childhood alive.  I hope that one day I have a daughter who will go through my books and find this black covered book of poetry; finding her own favorites.  (The Best Loved Poems of the American People)