"To A Child"

by Edna Casler Joll :
originally written with masculine pronouns but altered for us to use in Guiding

Every child should know a hill
And the clean joy of running down its long slope with the wind in her hair.
She should know a tree - the comfort of its cool lap of shade,
And the supple strength of its arms,
Balancing her between the earth and sky
So she is a creature of both.
She should know bits of singing water - the strange mysteries of its depth,
And the long sweet grasses that border it.
Every child should know some scrap of uninterrupted sky to shout against;
And have one star dependable and bright for wishing on.