David Gray '1838-1861'

The son of a hand loom weaver from Kirkintilloch In Dumbartonshire
Of reading his poetry i for one could not tire
Surely one of the best Scottish poets of his time
He died in his twenty third year of life in his physical prime

He lived and died poor and of him one can say
That life was not easy on the poet David Gray
Since eighteen sixty one his life's gift from him has gone
But his legacy of beauty today is living on

The works of his genius his legacy to humanity
He had written and has left a lot of good poetry for one of twenty three
He was a close friend of Robert Buchanan the great Scottish poet
And David Gray in his own right remains as one worthy of literary note

He was one with words who did have a way
And in his poems the genius lives of David Gray
But the saddest thing about him is that he died far too young
And surely his praises deserve for to be sung

One in his short life who knew of poverty
Yet one of the great poets of the nineteenth century
His genius in his poetry is living today
And says more of the man than words of him could ever say.