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Every Child Should Know a Hill
by
Edna Casler Joll


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Every child should know a hill,
And the clean joy of running down its long slope
With the wind in his hair.
He should know a tree—
The comfort of its cool lap of shade,
And the supple strength of its arms
Balancing him between earth and sky
So he is a creature of both.
He should know bits of singing water—
The strange mysteries of its depths,
And the long sweet grasses that border it.
Every child should know some scrap
Of uninterrupted sky, to shout against;
And have one star, dependable and bright,
For wishing on.


This poem is in the public domain.

 



 

Edna May Casler Joll (1908 - 1963) was born in South Dakota. She married machinist John Kenneth 'Kenny' Joll in 1936 and they had one son. Edna wrote this poem in 1944. Any additional information on her life would be most welcome.


Post New Comment:
Lori Levy:
I agree with whats expressed in this poem.
Posted 01/26/2024 08:57 PM
joecot:
What a lovely discovery. Thank you Jayne for finding this poem.
Posted 01/26/2024 08:21 PM
Arlene Gay Levine:
Both beauty and depth can be found here, as in the tree's arms balancing the child between earth and sky "So he is a creature of both." Love it!
Posted 01/26/2024 12:22 PM
Wilda Morris:
A wonderful celebration of nature!
Posted 01/26/2024 10:06 AM
Angela Hoffman:
as should every adult-thank you for this poem Edna!
Posted 01/26/2024 09:42 AM
Larry Schug:
I agree. "Every child should...". So nicely said, so compactly.
Posted 01/26/2024 07:40 AM
David:
So nice. My childhood hill was a street that would close for sledding after a heavy snowfall. The last two lines are wonderful.
Posted 01/26/2024 07:33 AM


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