The Path to Home

I happen to have temporary possession of a little treasure of a poetry book called The Path to Home by Edgar Guest. He is my favorite poet ever. Ever.

If I were to compare him to an artist, it would be Norman Rockwell. I got this book from the library-it's an old book, sewn binding which is falling apart, some of the pages are just barely clinging to it. I wonder when it was last taken out. It was published in 1919.

Yesterday, I gave myself permission to sit on the couch & read it for as long as I wanted. Hannah was busy designing her blog (she understands the html template stuff much better than I) Jonah was making his tree branch hooks-he had 3 orders for them last week! Susanna was watching Liberty's Kids.Alyssa sat with me while I read poetry. I read her some books first & then she was content to just hang out on my lap. I sat there for almost 2 hours-laughing, crying, laughing some more. This collection of poems is beautiful-in the most profound simple way. It was all about family, fatherhood, motherhood, children, a simple & joyous & content life.

I read some of the poems to the children. We all laughed reading, "The Lost Purse" and "The Furnace Door" and "Dr. Johnson's Picture Cow" and "A Convalescin' Woman." My husband loved "The Lost Purse". Everyone thought it reminded them of me. They also thought the poem, "Mother's Party Dress" reminded them of me, which moved me to tears. I was so blessed by that.

I cried reading so many of them: "Our House", "The Mother Watch", "Tied Down", "The Toy-Strewn Home", "Under the Roof Where the Laughter Rings" and I could go on and on (My Job, The Old Wooden Tub, Bread and Jam, First Name Friends, Tinkerin' At Home...). Here's a stanza from "Under the Roof Where the Laughter Rings":

"...Under the roof where the eyes are bright, There I would build my fame; There my record of life I'd write; There I would sign my name. There in laughter and true content Let me fashion my monument..."

As I was reading, every so often little Alyssa would stuff her chubby foot in my face & say with her little impish smile, "smell it!" And I did. :)

This website has all the poems in the book. I just found it this morning, but I'm so glad to have the book in my hands-it feels like an old friend. I am going to have a very difficult time returning this book. I am going to find one for me to own & keep it with me all the time. It's small enough to go in a purse-hopefully I won't lose it. :) :)