Photo of World War I soldier writing (Imperial War Museum)‘Believe It True’ (A Found Poem circa World War I) The Society July 23, 2019 Culture, Found Poem, Love Poems, Poetry 2 Comments Believe It True That you have made my world a wondrous garden Fair with your lips, and glad with your eyes of blue That you have wakened life’s song of gladness Believe it true, dear, believe it true. That I have found within that wondrous garden All passing hours made beautiful and true That my heart’s prayer is, God may bless you forever Believe it true, I love, love but you. The sun is shining somewhere beyond the night I know The birds are singing somewhere and life with love aglow There’s hope and gladness waiting beyond this time of care For you and me. the golden sun is shining, love somewhere. JOB August 1917 Notes by Beverly Stock My friend found this poem recently in a “English Bonne Heure Du Jour” antique desk, which has been passed down through three generations of her family. Appraisers estimate the desk could be original from the age of the Bronte Sisters. The desk has a drop leather bound writing section and two drawers above for ink and pens, etc., and under those a longer drawer with this love poem written on the base. The original punctuation and errors are reproduced above. The poem is etched in ink into the reverse side of the pull-out drawer. The only way to see and read the poem is to remove the drawer and turn it over! The Message like many others, written in stolen, war-time moments, emphasizes that the need to stay connected to the homes and the loved ones left behind was paramount. I’m certain soldiers often found clever ways to impart information. However, this powerful and lovely message, so intensely and covertly delivered, inspires my imagination! Beverly Stock is a poet living in St. Louis, Missouri. Look for more of her work on her upcoming website: www.BeverlyStockPoetry.com NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. CODEC Stories:Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) 2 Responses Mal Beveridge July 23, 2019 Now that poem, errors and all is very impressive and it’s provenance worthy of a novel. Reply C.B. Anderson July 23, 2019 My guess is that the desk is worth far more than the poem. Florid sentiment does not compare well with exquisitely executed cabinetry. However, I admire the spirit of the time and the expectation of potential loss that the poem conveys. I hope things worked out well for the frustrated lovers. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Captcha loading...In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Mal Beveridge July 23, 2019 Now that poem, errors and all is very impressive and it’s provenance worthy of a novel. Reply
C.B. Anderson July 23, 2019 My guess is that the desk is worth far more than the poem. Florid sentiment does not compare well with exquisitely executed cabinetry. However, I admire the spirit of the time and the expectation of potential loss that the poem conveys. I hope things worked out well for the frustrated lovers. Reply
