SAY, young fellow, just a minute, <br />They 're your first long trousers, eh? <br />And your little gray knee breeches <br />Are forever put away. <br />And your blouses and your stockings, <br />And your little caps are gone, <br />For the shirts and cuffs of manhood, <br />And you've got a derby on! <br /> <br />Yes — you look well in them, sonny, <br />Why, I can't believe my eyea! <br />For it doesn't seem a year ago <br />Since you were just this size, <br />And a little, pink-cheeked youngster; <br />Why, you toddled more than ran <br />Every night to meet your daddy, <br />And today you are a man! <br /> <br />Oh, I don't know how to tell you, <br />But I want to, yes, I do, <br />That your mother and your daddy <br />Both are mighty proud of you; <br />And we 're going to miss the baby <br />That from us today has gone, <br />But that baby we'll remember <br />Though he has long trousers on. <br /> <br />We 're banking on you, sonny, <br />We'll help you all we can, <br />But it's up to you, remember, <br />Now to prove you are a man; <br />You can make us mighty happy, <br />You can make us mighty sad, <br />Just remember it's not manly <br />To do things you know are bad. <br /> <br />I 'm not going to preach a sermon; <br />Mother's put your blouse away <br />And your breeches, and I saw her <br />Crying over them today; <br />And I thought perhaps I 'd give you <br />Just a thought to dwell upon, <br />Please remember, you 're her baby, <br />Though you've got long trousers on.<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/his-first-long-trousers/
