Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Today's poem by Edgar Guest

Good Books

Good books are friendly things to own.
If you are busy they will wait.
They will not call you on the phone
Or wake you if the hour is late.
They stand together row by row,
Upon the low shelf or the high.
But if you're lonesome this you know:
You have a friend or two nearby.

The fellowship of books is real.
They're never noisy when you're still.
They won't disturb you at your meal.
They'll comfort you when you are ill.
The lonesome hours they'll always share.
When slighted they will not complain. 
And though for them you've ceased to care
Your constant friends they'll still remain.

Good books your faults will never see
Or tell about them round the town.
If you would have their company
You merely have to take them down.
They'll help you pass the time away,
They'll counsel give if that you need.
He has true friends for night and day
Who has a few good books to read.

Edgar Guest (1881-1959)

18 comments:

  1. Oh how I agree with the poet! Looking back I see what a central role books have played in my life.....still do. Edgar Guest is a name that is ringing bells, I must Google him.

    Carole

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  2. I love this poem. I have never heard of it or the author. Thanks Nan.

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    1. If you click on the poems tab under the blog header photo, you'll see a few more of his poems here on the blog.

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  3. My Grandmother loved him ~ I have her book of his poems! :)))) ~Excellent~ this one is, I do so love books. :)))))

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    1. So many grandmothers had his poems, and knew some of them by heart.

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  4. Been a long time since I've read anything by Edgar Guest, and this of course is pertinent to all readers' lives. Very nice. Haven't been on the computer much for quite a while due to computer problems, so I must tell you how much I love your present header picture.

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    1. Isn't he just wonderful. Thank you about the header pic.

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  5. I am not in for poetry but I so love this one!

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    1. I would say most of the poems I've posted here are 'accessible' not difficult poems, but poems that speak to our hearts in a way we can all understand.

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  6. Replies
    1. And thank you for coming by. So good to see you.

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  7. So good and so true. Thanks for the reminder. I had forgotten about this poem.

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  8. Love this poem
    so true
    thank you for sharing.
    Love your new header.
    Have a wonderful day
    and I smile
    granchildren in your future...

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    1. I just love how the chickens do that. A truly peaceable kingdom.

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  9. So absolutely true! My grandmother had some favorite Edgar Guest poems that she liked to quote, but I wasn't familiar with this one. Thanks!

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    1. I do feel something has been lost in terms of poetry. All those old people knew lots of it by heart.

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