Homeward Bound

By Tilitha Waicekauskas © 1990

Issue: September, 1990

I want to tell you about a lad
Who was sometimes good and sometimes bad,
But he never was mean and he never lied,
And he had a little sister by his side.

They both went to school up on the hill
And one snowy winter-I remember it still-
His sister got sick one day at school
And that brother remembered the Golden Rule.

It was snowing a blizzard and very cold
But the boy was brave and also bold.
It was snowing swiftly and already deep
And the hill was all covered and very steep.

But his sister was sick--and needed to rest
For she had lots of fever, so he'd do his best
To get her home safely and tucked in bed,
Even though she couldn't even hold up her head.

So he bundled up, and he bundled her, too.
He took a deep breath for he knew what to do.
He knew piggyback was the way to go-
The only way to carry her through the snow.

The snow was deep, it was up to his knees,
And it was so cold-cold enough to freeze!
Home was so far, down a long, long hill,
And then up high on another one still!

He carried her home through the snow that day
And he never gave up for that wasn't his way.
He carried her high, up above the snow,
To keep her as dry as he could, you know.

And she felt so safe-they were homeward bound-
She just had to keep her arms tightly around
Her brother's neck, and soon they'd be there
Where Mother would give her the tenderest care.

He was only a boy. He was only ten.
But he had so much courage he just had to win.
That was long, long ago, and the boy forgot,
But his sister didn't - she remembers a lot.

I'm so proud of my brother-yes, the lass was I
That he carried homeward when the snow was high.
And I'll never forget the comfort I found
There on his back while we were homeward bound.