The Happy Wanderer

Back in 2004, while I was still 'doing my thing' with the official Cray Wanderers website, I came across a poem called 'The Happy Wanderer', during one of my research moments and uploaded it to the site. At the time, the internet was still in its infancy and very little information was known about the author of that poem, Percy Addleshaw.

Mr Addleshaw was, apart from writing poetry, a barrister and a writer. He lived from 1866 to 1916. He was a graduate of Christchurch College, Oxford and he was called to the bar in 1893. He was also known to write poetry under the nom de plume Percy Hemingway and apparently wrote 'The Happy Wanderer' in around 1896.

The Happy Wanderer
(Percy Addleshaw, 1866-1916)

He is the happy wanderer who goes
Singing upon his way, with eyes awake
To every scene, with ears alert to take
The sweetness of all sounds, who loves and knows
The secrets of the highway, holds the rose
Is fairer for the wounds the briars make;
He welcomes rain that he his thirst may slake,
The sun because it dries his dripping clothes:
Treasures experience beyond all store,
Careless if pain or pleasure he shall win,
So that his knowledge widen more and more:
Ready each hour to worship or to sin,
Until tired, wise, content, he halts before
The sign o’ The Grave, a cool and quiet inn.

Trevor Mulligan