This is a poem, no’ a song. It took me three goes tae type it.

“I SHOULD LIKE TO DIE,” SAID WILLIE

“I should like to die,” said Willie, “if my papa could die too:
But he says he isn’t ready—‘cause he’s got so much to do:
But my little sister Nellie says that I must surely die,
And she and Mamma—then she stopped because it made me cry.

“I remember that she told me once, while sitting on her knee,
That the angels never weary while watching over her and me:
And if I was only good—Nellie told me so before—
That they let us into Heaven when they see us at the door.

“I shall know no more of sorrow. I shall know no more of sin.
I shall see Mamma and Nellie, for I know they’ll let me in:
But I’ll have to tell the angel when I meet him at the door,
That he must excuse my Papa, because he couldn’t leave the store.

“I know I shall be happy, and shall always want to stay—
I should like to hear the singing—I should love the endless day:
I would like to look at Jesus—I d love him more and more,
And I’d gather water-lilies for the angel at the door.

“Nellie says that it may be I shall soon be called away—
If Papa was only ready I should like to go today;
But if I go before him to that world of light and joy,
I guess he’ll want to come to Heaven to see his little boy.”

Anon.

Capitals and punctuation added. --JoeClone, 1-Mar-02.