I cannot say, and will not say
That he is dead. He is just away.
With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand,
He has wandered into an unknown land
And left us dreaming how very fair
It need must be, since he lingers there.
And you--oh, you, who the wildest yearn
For an old-time step, and the glad return,
Think of him faring on, as dear
In the love of There as the love of Here.
Think of him still the same. I say,
He is not dead--he is just away.
James Whitcomb Riley
"He Is Not Dead"
