I had never heard of an early-20th-century poet named Eugene Field nor his poem entitled Little Boy Blue until recently. But I’ve definitely seen his poem play out in at least two films. I found it in a talk entitled “The Faith of a Child,” and I’d like to share it with you here.

Both the talk and this poem brought tears to my eyes. I suppose I’m sensitive that way. Touching words like these speak to something deep inside me, and I think they will speak to you, too.

Little Boy Blue

The little toy dog is covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
And the little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair,
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.

“Now, don’t you go till I come,” he said,
“And don’t you make any noise!”
So toddling off to his trundle-bed
He dreamt of the pretty toys.
And as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue,—
Oh, the years are many, the years are long,
But the little toy friends are true!

Ay, faithful to Little Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The smile of a little face.
And they wonder, as waiting these long years through,
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue
Since he kissed them and put them there.

Two Films This Reminds Me of

That poem was first published in 1958, but it feels so fresh and timeless. As I grow older, I think more about the passage of time and its effect on me. I love the idea of toys silently obeying their kind master and awaiting his return. There are so many things we can liken this to, such as:

• The loss of childhood innocence.
• Maintaining hope and faith amidst seemingly senseless tragedy.
• Patiently awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

If you’re anything like me, you probably recognized the two films that this poem is reminiscent of: The Little Matchgirl and Toy Story 2, specifically the “Jessie’s Song” portion of it.

The Little Matchgirl is based on a short story by Hans Christian Andersen, so it’s much older than Little Boy Blue. It’s about a poor little girl who has glorious visions of being loved and cared for one cold winter night as she starves and freezes to death. In the end, she dies and is carried up to heaven by an angel.

In Toy Story 2, Jessie is a cowgirl doll who is forgotten by her owner as the little girl grows into a young woman. I’m not sure which is more horrifying for a toy: to have their owner die suddenly and never return to them, or to have them forget about them for years and smile sadly when they give them away.

Holding Onto Hope

Whatever the case, this poem beautifully portrays the loss of childhood found in both of those films. In Little Boy Blue, the toys never lose hope that the boy will return one day, even though they have lost the brightness and sheen they had when they were new.

No matter how old we get, I hope we will hold onto our hope of being reunited with loved ones we lose and other forgotten friends.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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