Poem: Together

To the child

the world is an exciting,

but frightening, place,

the shifting sand,

the rolling waves,

the crowd of strangers.

He needs a helping hand.

To the aging adult

the world is a frightening,

if exciting, place,

life slipping away,

an uncertain future,

no easy path to walk.

He needs a helping hand.

Hand in hand,

grandson and grandfather,

they make their way,

together.

Dr. Robert Hamblin is an emeritus professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University, where he taught for 50 years and served as the founding director of the school’s Center for Faulkner Studies. He is the author or editor of more than 70 books, including poetry, fiction, literary criticism, biographies and memoirs.