The House by the Side of the Road
“He was a friend to man,
and lived in a house by the
side of the road.”
—Homer
There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the peace of their self-content;
There are souls, like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;—
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by—
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban;—
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road,
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife.
But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears—
Both parts of an infinite plan;—
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
But still I rejoice when the travellers rejoice,
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by—
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish—so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat
Or hurl the cynic's ban?—
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
—Sam Walter Foss (1858–1911)
“The House by the Side of the Road” was published in The Independent, 1897, and in Foss’ own book, Dreams in Homespun. According to The Alumnæ News of The Normal College, New York, the sentiments of this poem were inspired by the Roadside Settlement in Des Moines, Iowa. And the wording was inspired by Homer, as seen in the epigraph to this beautiful poem. I’m not the best of Greek scholars, but I think the excerpt would be:
“Axylus: in Arisba fair he dwelt
With riches blest, near to the public way
His dwelling: thus a general friend to man
He lov’d them all, and all their wants reliev’d...”
And as if Foss’ poetry wasn’t enough to give me joy, get this — he was also a librarian. Swoon!
Image source: “A Poet of the Common Life: Editorial Sketch of Sam Walter Foss,” in The Coming Age, October 1899
