The Prayer Of Cyrus Brown

Sam Walter Foss 1858 (Candia) – 1911



"The proper way for a man to pray,"
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
"And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees."
  
"No, I should say the way to pray,"
Said Rev. Doctor Wise,
"Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes."
  
"Oh, no; no, no," said Elder Slow,
"Such posture is too proud:
A man should pray with eyes fast closed
And head contritely bowed."
  
"It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front.
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,"
Said Rev. Doctor Blunt.
  
"Las' year I fell in Hodgkin's well
Head first," said Cyrus Brown,
"With both my heels a-stickin' up,
My head a-pinting down;
  
"An' I made a prayer right then an' there -
Best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standing on my head."
  
Sam Walter Foss.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on April 26, 2023

44 sec read
806

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXB ACXC XDXD XEXE XFXF XGXG X
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 781
Words 157
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 1

Sam Walter Foss

Sam Walter Foss was an American librarian and poet whose works included The House by the Side of the Road and The Coming American. more…

All Sam Walter Foss poems | Sam Walter Foss Books

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