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"The Woman Who Understands"
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So often in the past (before women had a "voice), the woman who understands would be the driving force that would shape the career of a husband, brother or son.
The man would accept the applause and congratulations, while in the background, the woman who made it all possible through tact, encouragement, faith, and her own inspirational love, guided him and cheered him on to succeed. This inspirational love poem is a wonderful example of the power behind the love and understanding of a woman for her man.
The Woman Who Understands
by Everard Jack Appleton
"Somewhere she waits to make you win,
your soul in her firm, white hands--
Somewhere the gods have made for you,
the Woman Who Understands!"
As the tide went out she found him
Lashed to a spar of Despair,
The wreck of his Ship around him--
The wreck of his Dreams in the air;
Found him and loved him and gathered
The soul of him close to her heart--
The soul that had sailed an uncharted sea,
The soul that had sought to win and be free--
The soul of which 'she' was part!
And there in the dusk she cried to the man,
"Win your battle--you can, you can!"
Broken by Fate, unrelenting,
Scarred by the lashings of Chance;
Bitter his heart--unrepenting--
Hardened by Circumstance;
Shadowed by Failure ever,
Cursing, he would have died,
But the touch of her hand, her strong warm hand,
And her love of his soul, took full command,
Just at the turn of the tide!
Standing beside him, filled with trust,
"Win!" she whispered, "you must, you must!"
Helping and loving and guiding,
Urging when that were best,
Holding her fears in hiding
Deep in her quiet breast;This is the woman who kept him
True to his standards lost,
When, tossed in the storm and stress of strife,
He thought himself through with the game of life
And ready to pay the cost.
Watching and guarding, whispering still,
"Win you can--and you will, you will!"
This is the story of ages,
This is the Woman's way;
Wiser than seers or sages,
Lifting us day by day;
Facing all things with a courage
Nothing can daunt or dim,
Treading Life's path, wherever it leads--
Lined with flowers or choked with weeds,
But ever with him--with him!
Guidon--comrade--golden spur--
The men who win are helped by 'her'!
"Somewhere she waits, strong in belief,
your soul in her firm, white hands:
Thank well the gods, when she comes to you--
the Woman Who Understands!"
~Everard Jack Appleton (1872 - 1931)
Born at Charleston, West Virginia, Appleton had very little schooling while growing up, but he did have the advantages of home literary influences and a good library to utilize. At the age of seventeen he went into newspaper work in his home town and then later moved on to Cincinnati to work at the Daily Tribune, the Commercial Gazette, and eventually the Cincinnati Times Star, where for five years he wrote a daily column of verse and humor. Besides his newspaper work, he has written over one hundred and fifty stories, hundreds of poems, many songs, and innumerable jokes, jingles, cheer-up wall cards, and the like. He is the author of two books of poetry, "The Quiet Courage" and "With the Colors." With such intense work during his life, his health broke down and he became a chronic invalid, but his cheer and his faith remained as bright as ever until his death.
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