Three Sons

In a shadowed, quiet dwelling
Where the night winds softly swelling
Lived a father, stern and silent
And a mother, calm and kind
Three sons they raised with care unceasing
Through the seasons' gentle creasing
Each one growing, ever knowing
Paths by love and duty lined
And the parents, ever watching
With their hearts and hopes entwined
Guided them with love enshrined

First, the eldest, strong and steady
Rose each dawn with hands made ready
To the fields he went with purpose
Till the earth beneath him sighed
With each furrow, deep and narrow
Dreams were planted without sorrow
As he labored, ever faithful
With no fear of the world outside
Through his toil, the land did prosper
Under skies so vast and wide
Bound by duty, side by side

Next, the second, quiet, clever
Sought the truths that last forever
In the pages worn and ancient
Where the wise of old reside
In the flickering light, he pondered
Through the night his mind oft wandered
Seeking knowledge, finding solace
In the words that never lied
With each answer, new questions lingered
Echoing where shadows hide
In his heart they would abide

Last, the youngest, bright and beaming
Filled with life and endless dreaming
Ran with laughter through the meadows
Where the wildflowers abide
With a spirit light and fleeting
Every moment warmly greeting
He would chase the sun's own glory
In the golden morning tide
But as time passed, like a whisper
He too turned to paths untried
Drawn away by life's own ride

And the parents, ever yearning
Watched as life's great wheel kept turning
While the echoes of their children
Filled the rooms where silence thrived
Though the sons grew strong and ventured
Leaving home where love once centered
In that cottage, now so quiet
Memories of them survived
And the parents, worn and waiting
In the twilight of their lives
Held those memories, kept alive