 | The American common-place book of poetry |  |
Who is my Neighbor?—Anonymous.
Thy neighbor? It is he whom thou
Hast power to aid and bless,
Whose aching heart or burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.
Hast power to aid and bless,
Whose aching heart or burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.
Thy neighbor? 'Tis the fainting poor,
Whose eye with want is dim,
Whom hunger sends from door to door,—
Go thou, and succor him.
Whose eye with want is dim,
Whom hunger sends from door to door,—
Go thou, and succor him.
Thy neighbor? 'Tis that weary man,
Whose years are at their brim,
Bent low with sickness, cares and pain:—
Go thou, and comfort him.
Whose years are at their brim,
Bent low with sickness, cares and pain:—
Go thou, and comfort him.
374
Thy neighbor? 'Tis the heart bereft
Of every earthly gem;
Widow and orphan, helpless left:—
Go thou, and shelter them.
Of every earthly gem;
Widow and orphan, helpless left:—
Go thou, and shelter them.
Thy neighbor? Yonder toiling slave,
Fettered in thought and limb,
Whose hopes are all beyond the grave,—
Go thou and ransom him.
Fettered in thought and limb,
Whose hopes are all beyond the grave,—
Go thou and ransom him.
Whene'er thou meet'st a human form
Less favored than thine own,
Remember 'tis thy neighbor worm,
Thy brother, or thy son.
Less favored than thine own,
Remember 'tis thy neighbor worm,
Thy brother, or thy son.
Oh, pass not, pass not heedless by;
Perhaps thou canst redeem
The breaking heart from misery:—
Go, share thy lot with him.
Perhaps thou canst redeem
The breaking heart from misery:—
Go, share thy lot with him.
| The American common-place book of poetry | |