Jim by Robert William Service — Stanza

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Jim

by Robert William Service

Never knew Jim, did you? Our boy Jim?

Bless you, there was the likely lad;

Supple and straight and long of limb,

Clean as a whistle, and just as glad.

Always laughing, wasn't he, dad?

Joy, pure joy to the heart of him,

And, oh, but the soothering ways he had,

Jim, our Jim!

But I see him best as a tiny tot,

A bonny babe, though it's me that speaks;

Laughing there in his little cot,

With his sunny hair and his apple cheeks.

And my! but the blue, blue eyes he'd got,

And just where his wee mouth dimpled dim

Such a fairy mark like a beauty spot -

That was Jim.

Oh, the war, the war! How my eyes were wet!

But he says: "Don't be sorrowing, mother dear;

You never knew me to fail you yet,

And I'll be back in a year, a year."

'Twas at Mons he fell, in the first attack;

For so they said, and their eyes were dim;

But I laughed in their faces: "He'll come back,

Will my Jim."

Now, we'd been wedded for twenty year,

And Jim was the only one we'd had;

So when I whispered in father's ear,

He wouldn't believe me - would you, dad?

There! I must hurry . . . hear him cry?

My new little baby. . . . See! that's him.

What are we going to call him? Why,

Jim, just Jim.

Jim! For look at him laughing there

In the same old way in his tiny cot,

With his rosy cheeks and his sunny hair,

And look, just look . . . his beauty spot

In the selfsame place. . . . Oh, I can't explain,

And of course you think it's a mother's whim,

But I know, I know it's my boy again,

Same wee Jim.

Just come back as he said he would;

Come with his love and his heart of glee.

Oh, I cried and I cried, but the Lord was good;

From the shadow of Death he set Jim free.

So I'll have him all over again, you see.

Can you wonder my mother-heart's a-brim?

Oh, how happy we're going to be!

Aren't we, Jim?