Amanuensis Monday - Grandma Hill's Poetry, Week 50

This is the last of the poems that have been transcribed.  It is fitting that this week's poem is about her son Victor Hill who was born on August 19, 1897. This is one of the few poems that I can date, but it clearly was written on August 19, 1945.

His Birthday

August 19: Forty eight years ago today he was born

And forty eight years ago tonight, the tiny form 

Lay safe in my proud protecting arm

'Twas my job, through shine and storm

To keep him safe from any harm.

Of the three, it seemed, he was my choice

And I was always cheered to hear his laughing voice

He was always happy, lively, helpful and gay

So passed sixteen years of his youth away.

Then work took him from our home away

For more than a year, I thought "not gone to stay"

When I heard the sad news he was on a foreign shore

The thought came to me "I'll never see him more".

He had gone to help our neighbor country in her dire need

Never thinking of the sacrifice to be exacted for the deed.

He gave his young life to make this world a better place

And I've ever thought 'twas his wish, I should keep a smiling face.

No one knows the sorrow, only another mother so bereft

Nor how this sorrow makes us cling to those who are left.

We can only be thankful to be near them day by day

'Till life is done and our sorrow is ended forever and aye.

Nancy Jane Wiley Hill (1875-1960) was always writing something.  Many of those poems are now in the possession of her granddaughter Shirley Kern.  Shirley, with the help of her sister-in-law Ruth Ormsby, transcribed these poems in 1996 for a Hill-Ormsby-Kern family reunion.  I am going to post many of these poems so that they may be enjoyed by all.

These are copyright 1996 and reprinted with permission.