The Age-Old Desire by Grace Noll Crowell

God, give each true good woman
Her own small house to keep,
No heart should ache with longing,
No hurt should go too deep…..
Grant her age-old desire:
A house to love and sweep.
Give her a man beside her,
A kind man, and a true,
And let them work together
And love, a lifetime through,
And let her mother children
As gentle women do.
Give her a shelf for dishes,
And a shining box for bread,
A white cloth for her table,
And a white spread for her bed,
A shaded lamp at nightfall,
And a row of books much read.
God, let her work with laughter,
And let her rest with sleep.
No life can truly offer
A peace more sure and deep….
God, give each true woman
Her own small house to keep

~Grace Noll Crowell~