That princes and kings
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity ?
Each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
And each must make -
Ere life is flown -
A stumbling block
Or a stepping stone.
If what you said, I haven't heard
And I ask you to repeat it word for word
If I walk too slow, when I cross the street
And I can't hurry because of my sore feet
If when I write, mistakes you see
It's because my eyes aren't as good as they used to be
If I seem confused, or in a daze sometimes
And I find it difficult to say, what's on my mind
I know I can't see, hear, walk, or think too well
It's all part of growing old, I've heard tell
They say I am shiftless, to go for a walk
And leave dishes stand all about.
A better housekeeper would sail in, they say,
And wash them BEFORE she went out.
They say, I am lazy... my beds aren't made.
But I've climbed to the top of the hill
To feel the soft rush of the wind on my face,
And to listen to wood thrushes trill.
They tell me that, "Morning's the best time to work.
To clean, or to bake or to sew."
But I slipped away as the sun topped the hill,
To find where the trilliums grow.
My floors aren't swept, for I've been out since dawn.
Perhaps I should care... but I don't
For housework will wait till I come back, you see,
But dew on a spider web WON'T !
It's not so much what you say
As the manner in which you say it
It's not so much the language you use
As the tone in which you convey it;
"Come here !" I sharply said,
And the child cowered and wept.
"Come here," I said -
He looked and smiled
And straight to my lap he crept.
Words may be mild and fair
And the tone may pierce like a dart;
Words may be soft as the summer air
But the tone may break my heart;
For words come from the mind
Grow by study and art-
But tone leaps from the inner self
Revealing the state of the heart.
Whether you know it or not,
Whether you mean or care,
Gentleness, kindness, love, and hate,
Envy, anger are there.
Then would you quarrels avoid
And peace and love rejoice ?
Keep anger not only out of your words-
Keep it out of your voice.
and some of us grew tall.
Others stood out in the wind
their branches bent and fell.
Those of us who walk in light
must help the ones in darkness up.
For that's what life is all about
and love is all there is to life.
Each of us was made by God
beautiful in his mind's eye.
Those of us that turned out sound
should look across our shoulders once
and help the weak ones to their feet.
It only takes an outstretched hand...
ROD McKUEN
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest! if you must - but never quit.
Life is queer with it's twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won if he'd stuck it out;
Stick to your task, though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with just one more blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt -
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst that YOU MUSTN'T QUIT.
Some folks in looks take such pride
They don't think much of what's inside;
Well, as for me, I know my face
Can never be made a thing of grace
And so I rather think I'll see
How I can fix the inside of me;
So folks'll say, "He looks like sin
But ain't he beautiful within !"