{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/shoe-black",
 "title": "Shoe Black",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 32,
  "n_stanzas": 8,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Gent on sidewalk held out his foot",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "While boy in gutter brushed his boot,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But at this time, how sad, alas,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "An unruly horse did o’er him pass.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The child for friends he sad did lack,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They said he was but a shoeblack,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Kind hearted man the poor child bore,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To a soft cot in back of store.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And brought from hospital ward",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A skilful nurse the lad to guard,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She often listened for his breath,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As he was passing the vale of death.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "But, poor child, once he ope’d his eyes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And he looked round in great surprise,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Feebly he asked, heaving a sigh,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where in the world now am I.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The tender nurse bent o’er his face,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And said, dear boy, you’re in good place,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "She asked his name, he said it was Tom,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And that for long he had no home.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And since his mother was stricken dead,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He had not once reposed in bed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And while suffering child did rack,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He eagerly asked will mother come back.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The nurse she gently answered, no,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But, to your dear mother you can go,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In his last sleep he had a dream,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Shining up boots it was his theme.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He soon awoke and called out, mother,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I see you and little brother,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Christ, I know, has me forgiven,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For they are beckoning me to Heaven.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}