{"id":152898,"url":"https://www.kudos365.com/news/152898-the-calf-path-poem-by-sam-walter-foss-1895","short_url":"https://www.kudos365.com/news/152898","headline":"The Calf-Path || Poem by Sam Walter Foss (1895)","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI.\u003cbr\u003eOne day through the primeval wood\u003cbr\u003eA calf walked home as good calves should;\u003cbr\u003eBut made a trail all bent askew,\u003cbr\u003eA crooked trail as all calves do.\u003cbr\u003eSince then three hundred years have fled,\u003cbr\u003eAnd I infer the calf is dead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eII.\u003cbr\u003eBut still he left behind his trail,\u003cbr\u003eAnd thereby hangs my moral tale.\u003cbr\u003eThe trail was taken up next day,\u003cbr\u003eBy a lone dog that passed that way;\u003cbr\u003eAnd then a wise bell-wether sheep\u003cbr\u003ePursued the trail o'er vale and steep,\u003cbr\u003eAnd drew the flock behind him, too,\u003cbr\u003eAs good bell-wethers always do.\u003cbr\u003eAnd from that day, o'er hill and glade.\u003cbr\u003eThrough those old woods a path was made.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIII.\u003cbr\u003eAnd many men wound in and out,\u003cbr\u003eAnd dodged, and turned, and bent about,\u003cbr\u003eAnd uttered words of righteous wrath,\u003cbr\u003eBecause 'twas such a crooked path;\u003cbr\u003eBut still they followed—do not laugh—\u003cbr\u003eThe first migrations of that calf,\u003cbr\u003eAnd through this winding wood-way stalked\u003cbr\u003eBecause he wobbled when he walked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIV.\u003cbr\u003eThis forest path became a lane,\u003cbr\u003ethat bent and turned and turned again;\u003cbr\u003eThis crooked lane became a road,\u003cbr\u003eWhere many a poor horse with his load\u003cbr\u003eToiled on beneath the burning sun,\u003cbr\u003eAnd traveled some three miles in one.\u003cbr\u003eAnd thus a century and a half\u003cbr\u003eThey trod the footsteps of that calf.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eV.\u003cbr\u003eThe years passed on in swiftness fleet,\u003cbr\u003eThe road became a village street;\u003cbr\u003eAnd this, before men were aware,\u003cbr\u003eA city's crowded thoroughfare.\u003cbr\u003eAnd soon the central street was this\u003cbr\u003eOf a renowned metropolis;\u003cbr\u003eAnd men two centuries and a half,\u003cbr\u003eTrod in the footsteps of that calf.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVI.\u003cbr\u003eEach day a hundred thousand rout\u003cbr\u003eFollowed the zigzag calf about\u003cbr\u003eAnd o'er his crooked journey went\u003cbr\u003eThe traffic of a continent.\u003cbr\u003eA Hundred thousand men were led,\u003cbr\u003eBy one calf near three centuries dead.\u003cbr\u003eThey followed still his crooked way,\u003cbr\u003eAnd lost one hundred years a day;\u003cbr\u003eFor thus such reverence is lent,\u003cbr\u003eTo well established precedent.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVII.\u003cbr\u003eA moral lesson this might teach\u003cbr\u003eWere I ordained and called to preach;\u003cbr\u003eFor men are prone to go it blind\u003cbr\u003eAlong the calf-paths of the mind,\u003cbr\u003eAnd work away from sun to sun,\u003cbr\u003eTo do what other men have done.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey follow in the beaten track,\u003cbr\u003eAnd out and in, and forth and back,\u003cbr\u003eAnd still their devious course pursue,\u003cbr\u003eTo keep the path that others do.\u003cbr\u003eThey keep the path a sacred groove,\u003cbr\u003eAlong which all their lives they move.\u003cbr\u003eBut how the wise old wood gods laugh,\u003cbr\u003eWho saw the first primeval calf.\u003cbr\u003eAh, many things this tale might teach—\u003cbr\u003eBut I am not ordained to preach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(This poem is in the public domain)\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSam Walter Foss\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u0026nbsp;(1858 – 1911) was an American librarian and\u0026nbsp;\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poet\" title=\"Poet\" style=\"text-decoration: none; color: rgb(6, 69, 173); background: none;\"\u003epoet\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;born in Candia, New Hampshire. He gra­du­at­ed from Brown Un­i­ver­si­ty, Pro­vi­dence, Rhode Is­land, in 1882, His works include The House by the Side of the Road, Two Gods and\u0026nbsp;The Coming American. He\u0026nbsp;served as librarian at the Somerville\u0026nbsp;Public Library in\u0026nbsp;Massachusetts.\u0026nbsp; Foss used to write a poem a day for the newspapers\u0026nbsp;and his five volumes of collected poetry\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","content_plain":"I.One day through the primeval woodA calf walked home as good calves should;But made a trail all bent askew,A crooked trail as all calves do.Since then three hundred years have fled,And I infer the calf is dead.II.But still he left behind his trail,And thereby hangs my moral tale.The trail was taken up next day,By a lone dog that passed that way;And then a wise bell-wether sheepPursued the trail o'er vale and steep,And drew the flock behind him, too,As good bell-wethers always do.And from that day, o'er hill and glade.Through those old woods a path was made.III.And many men wound in and out,And dodged, and turned, and bent about,And uttered words of righteous wrath,Because 'twas such a crooked path;But still they followed—do not laugh—The first migrations of that calf,And through this winding wood-way stalkedBecause he wobbled when he walked.IV.This forest path became a lane,that bent and turned and turned again;This crooked lane became a road,Where many a poor horse with his loadToiled on beneath the burning sun,And traveled some three miles in one.And thus a century and a halfThey trod the footsteps of that calf.V.The years passed on in swiftness fleet,The road became a village street;And this, before men were aware,A city's crowded thoroughfare.And soon the central street was thisOf a renowned metropolis;And men two centuries and a half,Trod in the footsteps of that calf.VI.Each day a hundred thousand routFollowed the zigzag calf aboutAnd o'er his crooked journey wentThe traffic of a continent.A Hundred thousand men were led,By one calf near three centuries dead.They followed still his crooked way,And lost one hundred years a day;For thus such reverence is lent,To well established precedent.VII.A moral lesson this might teachWere I ordained and called to preach;For men are prone to go it blindAlong the calf-paths of the mind,And work away from sun to sun,To do what other men have done.They follow in the beaten track,And out and in, and forth and back,And still their devious course pursue,To keep the path that others do.They keep the path a sacred groove,Along which all their lives they move.But how the wise old wood gods laugh,Who saw the first primeval calf.Ah, many things this tale might teach—But I am not ordained to preach.(This poem is in the public domain)Sam Walter Foss (1858 – 1911) was an American librarian and poet born in Candia, New Hampshire. He gra­du­at­ed from Brown Un­i­ver­si­ty, Pro­vi­dence, Rhode Is­land, in 1882, His works include The House by the Side of the Road, Two Gods and The Coming American. He served as librarian at the Somerville Public Library in Massachusetts.  Foss used to write a poem a day for the newspapers and his five volumes of collected poetry","published_at":"2026-06-25T02:04:00-07:00","updated_at":"2025-12-12T17:52:20-08:00","author":{"type":"Person","name":"Poetry Alley","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/profiles/100043-poetry-alley"},"description":"Stay up-to-date with Poetry Alley on Kudos 365. View their photo published Jun/25/2026 on Poetry. Browse your favorite topics and share your expertise, too.","type":"photo","image":"https://k365fs.imgix.net/media/FfCQhNTtS7uSRAajAhm2_Sam_Walter_Foss-R.jpg?auto=compress,format\u0026fit=max\u0026w=1200\u0026h=1200\u0026q=48","likes_count":18,"comments_count":1,"categories":[{"name":"Poetry","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/categories/942-poetry"}],"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"CreativeWork","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/news/152898-the-calf-path-poem-by-sam-walter-foss-1895","headline":"The Calf-Path || Poem by Sam Walter Foss (1895)","image":"https://k365fs.imgix.net/media/FfCQhNTtS7uSRAajAhm2_Sam_Walter_Foss-R.jpg?auto=compress,format\u0026fit=max\u0026w=1200\u0026h=1200\u0026q=48","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Poetry Alley","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/profiles/100043-poetry-alley"},"datePublished":"2026-06-25T02:04:00-07:00","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/LikeAction","userInteractionCount":18}],"subjectOf":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Poetry","url":"https://www.kudos365.com/categories/942-poetry"}]}}