Faithful Toys

Little Boy Blue
by Eugene Fields

The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the little toy solider is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the solider was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.

"Now, don't you go till I come," he said,
"And don't you make any noise!"
So, toddling off to his trundle-bed,
He dreamt of the pretty toys;
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue --
Oh! the years are many, the years are long,
But the little toy friends are true!
Aye, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place --
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there.

This poem was written by Eugene Fields, An American poet, and in my opinion, is one of the most touching synopsis of childhood ever written. 

A newspaper man in the late 1800s, he became called the "poet of childhood" in the early 1900s.  I can sincerely say that I love every one of Eugene Fields' poems.  Make sure you are in the right frame of mind before you read them though, because most of them will set you crying!  Many of his poems don't contain such tragic subject matter, in fact most are very magical; but they all tug mercilessly at the heart-strings. 

Illustration of Little Boy Blue by Julia Noonan

Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2017 / edited 2019