The Underprivileged Child

By Lucy Woolley

Poor little one, you tried so hard to learn,
Your eyes raised trustfully, with eagerness to mine;
And o’er and o’er the word forms slowly traced,
Your wee lips sounding each one, line by line.

You finally grasped one — how your eyes would beam!
“I know it ev’ry time — it’s here, and here!
I won’t forget” –- but o, when morning came
’Twas then as if that word you’d never seen.

“I want to learn to read — the others can —
Why can’t I ’member what the words should be?”
“It just takes time, dear, but together you and I
Will climb this reading hill of yours and see
What fun it is when all the words we know
And we can read and read, so gay and free.”

Then you would smile, but in that smile I’d see
A trace of yearning mixed with sadness, too.
You’d tried so hard — some did not seem to try,
And yet they rambled on — left you behind.

Where have I failed that you can’t journey on
To realms of pure delight in Storyland?
Is there some way to reach your meagre mind?
Oh, god in Heaven, make me understand!

(1936)