A Life-Lesson

A Life-Lesson

James Whitcomb Riley

There! little girl; don't cry!
They have broken your doll, I know;
And your tea-set blue,
And your play-house, too,
Are things of the long ago;
But childish troubles will soon pass by. --
There! little girl; don't cry!
There! little girl; don't cry!
They have broken your slate, I know;
And the glad, wild ways
Of your schoolgirl days
Are things of the long ago;
But life and love will soon come by. --
There! little girl; don't cry!
There! little girl; don't cry!
They have broken your heart I know;
And the rainbow gleams
Of your youthful dreams
Are things of the long ago;
But Heaven holds all for which you sigh. --
There! little girl; don't cry!

Verse breaks and indentation are preserved. Wrapped lines have a hanging indent. Width adapts to your screen.

Public domain text via the PoetryDB open archive.

BRING THIS POEM TO LIFE

Commission a cinematic poem

Laurence Fuller brings verse, performance and moving images together. Commission a cinematic interpretation of A Life-Lesson by James Whitcomb Riley, or a poem of your choosing, for your collection.

Open the full commission form →

POETIX STREAM · LAURENCE FULLER

Poetry made visible

Discover Laurence Fuller’s cinematic artworks ~ where poetry, performance and painting meet.

Cinematic Poetry by Laurence FullerExplore all

Kaleidoscope I ~ Green
SOHO: The Return ~ Abandoned Museum
A Labyrinth of Dreams
The Fortune ~ Act I: The Harpoon
Destiny
ReliX ~ Banished II
Kaleidoscope V ~ The Conversation
Trials of Destiny II
Kaleidoscope VI ~ Sky
1616 ~ Night Watch: The Delft Riots
1616 ~ Shakespeare's Last Day
Commission your own cinematic poem ↗