Poetry

I have a couple little bitty books with compilations of poems that I just love. I've had them forever! I'm going to share some over the next few weeks. Today's poem comes from the book Poems of Sentiment & Inspiration - Poems of Courage, Friendship and Love. Compiled by Mary Sanford Laurence, copyright 1981.

This poem touched me the first time I read it over 10 years ago, and I try very hard to live it.


At Set of Sun

If you sit down at set of sun
And count the acts that you have done,
And, counting, find
One self-denying deed, one word
That eased the heart of him who heard -
One glance most kind,
That fell like sunshine where it went -
Then you many count that day well spent.

But, if, through all the livelong day,
You've cheered no heart, by yea or nay -
If, through it all
You've nothing done that you can trace
That brought the sunshine to one face -
No act most small
That helped some soul and nothing cost -
Then count that day as worse than lost.

GEORGE ELIOT