The Barefoot Boy by John Greenleaf Whittier

Idyllic Rural Life

Blessings on thee, little man,

Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!

With thy turned-up pantaloons,

And thy merry whistled tunes;

With thy red lip, redder still

Kissed by strawberries on the hill;

With the sunshine on thy face,

Through thy torn brim's jaunty grace;

From my heart I give thee joy, -

I was once a barefoot boy!

Prince thou art, - the grown-up man

Only is republican.

Let the million-dollared ride!

Barefoot, trudging at his side,

Thou hast more than he can buy

In the reach of ear and eye, -

Outward sunshine, inward joy:

Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!

Crack the Whip, Winslow Homer

Oh for boyhood's painless play,

Sleep that wakes in laughing day,

Health that mocks the doctor's rules,

Knowledge never learned of schools,

Of the wild bee's morning chase,

Of the wild-flower's time and place,

Flight of fowl and habitude

Of the tenants of the wood;

How the tortoise bears his shell,

How the woodchuck digs his cell,

And the ground-mole sinks his well;

How the robin feeds her young,

How the oriole's nest is hung;

Where the whitest lilies blow,

Where the freshest berries grow,

Where the ground-nut trails its vine,

Where the wood-grape's clusters shine;

Of the black wasp's cunning way,

Mason of his walls of clay,

And the architectural plans

Of gray hornet artisans!

For, eschewing books and tasks,

Nature answers all he asks;

Hand in hand with her he walks,

Face to face with her he talks,

Part and parcel of her joy, -

Blessings on the barefoot boy!

This week you can download my latest novel By the Shores of Solon Pond for $.99 in celebration of its launch.

"The characters are all beautifully drawn and distinctive, from the various uncles and aunts to the village merchants and soldiers. High points in the narrative include vivid descriptions of the natural world, the farming life, the animals, and the work itself. It's a slice-of-life tale, showing Waldo in different settings and giving the reader a deep sense of what it was like to live in the Civil War era. Extensively researched, By the Shores of Solon Pond has a highly realistic flavor as if it were written in 1865."
Kevin Brennan, Author of Yesterday Road

Most of the books in The Tenafly Road Series are FREE for download this week too!