I’ll Lend you my child…” (by Edgar Guest)

I'll lend you for a little time a child of mine, God said ...
For you to love the while she lives ...
and mourn for when she's dead.
It may be five or seven years, or twenty-two and three,
But will you, till I call her back, take care of her for me?
She'll bring her charms to gladden you.
And shall her stay be brief, You'll have her lovely memories as solace for your grief.
I cannot promise she will stay, since all from Earth return.
But there are lessons, taught down there, I want this child to learn.
I've looked the wide world over in search for teachers true, And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes, I have selected you.
Now ... will you give her all your love ... nor think the labor in vain? Nor ... hate me when I come to call ... to take her back again?
I fancied that I heard you say ... “Dear Lord, thy will be done!
“For all the joy Your Child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
“We'll shelter her with tenderness.
We'll love her while we may, “And for the happiness we've known ... forever grateful stay.
“But shall the angels call for her much sooner than we've planned,
“We'll brave the bitter grief that comes ... and try to understand.” *