HOST CONTACT: Don Mast
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
Email me: - donaldmast@gmail.com
It Is Well With My Soul Lyrics:
When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soulIt is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soulThough Satan should buffet, though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soulIt is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soulMy sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, o my soul!It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soulIt is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. www.oliverpluff.com.
Sponsored by the best history website on the planet, www.TheHistoryList.com.
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HOST CONTACT: Don Mast
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
Email me: - donaldmast@gmail.com
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A Christmas story…
On Christmas Day in 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow continued to grieve the death of his beloved second wife Fannie who had died two years prior when her housedress caught fire. Longfellow himself tried to extinguish those flames with his own body but Fannie did not survive the accident. During the subsequent two years, Henry's oldest son would enlist in the Union army to fight in the Civil War. On December 1 of that year, Henry would receive a telegram that his son had been shot during a battle of the Mine Run campaign. The location of the exit wound from the bullet would put his son at risk of being paralyzed. This father of six, now widowed, worried for the future of his children, all while cannons thundered in the south, captured his feelings as he heard the bells that Christmas day in his poem titled, 'Christmas Bells'. Yesterday as we sang this poem (now song) in our church congregation, I felt as though I could relate a little more to Longfellow and his feelings of despair that were overcome with hope by what he chose to listen to. He chose amidst the grief, amidst the cannons, amidst the fighting and hate to listen to the bells of hope. Those bells would breathe peace into his life just as they have into mine. I include below the words to the entire poem with verses that are not included in the song. They paint the beautiful picture of a man who found his hope as he bowed his head and listened more intently to his maker. "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor doth He sleeps!" I know that bowing our heads is the first step toward hope and peace in our lives.
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I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
-
And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
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Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
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Then from each black, accursed mouth, The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound, The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
-
It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
-
And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said; "For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
-
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men."
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The song for this episode is from Burl Ives, 1965 https://youtu.be/2nk77EOgapg
Discover the history behind the song "Yankee Doodle."
Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/.
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast
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Email me: - donaldmast@gmail.com
Audio Song: Yankee Doodle by Robert Shaw; The Robert Shaw Chorale
The full version of the song as it is known today:
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
[Chorus]
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Gooding,[a]
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding.
[Chorus]
And there we saw a thousand men
As rich as Squire David,
And what they wasted every day,
I wish it could be savèd.
[Chorus]
The 'lasses they eat every day,
Would keep a house a winter;
They have so much, that I'll be bound,
They eat it when they've a mind to.
[Chorus]
And there I see a swamping[b] gun
Large as a log of maple,
Upon a deuced little cart,
A load for father's cattle.
[Chorus]
And every time they shoot it off,
It takes a horn of powder,
And makes a noise like father's gun,
Only a nation[c] louder.
[Chorus]
I went as nigh to one myself
As 'Siah's underpinning;
And father went as nigh again,
I thought the deuce was in him.
[Chorus]
Cousin Simon grew so bold,
I thought he would have cocked it;
It scared me so I shrinked it off
And hung by father's pocket.
[Chorus]
And Cap'n Davis had a gun,
He kind of clapt his hand on't
And stuck a crooked stabbing iron
Upon the little end on't
[Chorus]
And there I see a pumpkin shell
As big as mother's basin,
And every time they touched it off
They scampered like the nation.
[Chorus]
I see a little barrel too,
The heads were made of leather;
They knocked on it with little clubs
And called the folks together.
[Chorus]
And there was Cap'n Washington,
And gentle folks about him;
They say he's grown so 'tarnal proud
He will not ride without 'em.
[Chorus]
He got him on his meeting clothes,
Upon a slapping stallion;
He sat the world along in rows,
In hundreds and in millions.
[Chorus]
The flaming ribbons in his hat,
They looked so tearing fine, ah,
I wanted dreadfully to get
To give to my Jemima.
[Chorus]
I see another snarl of men
A-digging graves, they told me,
So 'tarnal long, so 'tarnal deep,
They 'tended they should hold me.
[Chorus]
It scared me so, I hooked it off,
Nor stopped, as I remember,
Nor turned about till I got home,
Locked up in mother's chamber.
[Chorus]
Boston is full of great history, Revolutionary War heroes, and legends. John Hancock, who is best known for his elaborate signature on the Declaration of Independence, died in 1793 at the relatively young age of 56. What happened to his body? ⚰️
Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/.
**I'm Sorry For The Poor Audio. As you know, I'm recording from home due to the pandemic. There was a large tree being removed from our neighbor's yard. The mic picked up every sound.
Special Thanks to Spare Change News and the story written by Peter Muise.
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Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
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Most Americans know about his daredevil electrical⚡ experiment where he attached a metal key to a kite🪁 and flew it in a thunderstorm, there are many other reasons that Benjamin Franklin is known as one of the country’s most influential figures. Here are some fun facts about the man that helped shape our nation’s history. He is credited with inventing bifocals, lightning rods, flexible catheters, and swimming fins, as well as making several key discoveries about electricity. He was one of America's most influential statesmen and by many accounts, delightfully quirky weirdo.
Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/. Tea History: https://oliverpluff.com/pages/tea-comes-to-america - Enjoyed Colonial Bohea Tea during the show: https://oliverpluff.com/collections/colonial-tea/products/colonial-bohea-loose-tea-in-signature-tea-tin
Benjamin Franklin’s Views on The Boston Tea Party: https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/tea-blog/benjamin-franklins-views-on-the-boston-tea-party
Special Thanks to Weird History on Youtube and The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum / (Historic Tours Of America).
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
The Medical Mystery of George Washington's Death.
Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/ .
Enjoyed Cacao Shell Tea From Martha Washington https://oliverpluff.com/collections/cacao/products/cacao-shell-tea .
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
EPISODE INTRO: Today is a unique episode with a totally different format. Today you are going to meet a special friend and published poet, Brian C. Miller. Brian C. Miller was born in Altoona, PA in 1977. He graduated from Penn State Altoona where he received degrees in English and Education. His poems have appeared in The Connecticut River Review, Barbaric Yawp, and The Old Red Kimono. In 2012, he had his first chapbook published by Finishing Line Press entitled, The Blue and White Tent. He is a Special Education Aide for the Altoona Area School District.
Today I am enjoying Elderberry Herbal Blend Tea ☕ by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/
BUY BRIAN'S BOOKS📚:
Finish Line Press: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/?s=brian+miller&post_type=product
Brian's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/brian.c.miller.52
HOST CONTACT📲:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
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EPISODE INTRO:
I explore some interesting facts about Robert Burns 🏴, story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist. Tea of the day is Congou Tea, a black tea of high mastery. Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/ .
THE POEM:
A Red, Red Rose 🌹 - BY ROBERT BURNS
O my love's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June;
O my love's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in love am I;
And I will love thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun:
O I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee well, my only love,
And fare thee well awhile!
And I will come again, my love,
Though it were ten thousand mile.
RESEARCH:
Ae Fond Kiss Poem Insight: https://burnsmuseum.wordpress.com/2018/08/15/an-insight-into-ae-fond-kiss/
YouTube: Listen to a beautiful version of Ae Fond Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax021N4iaFU
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
EPISODE INTRO:
My goal today, is to be your cupid…. To sling some arrows 🏹 your way with this special BONUS episode… To heat things up during this cold time of year. More than just some chocolates and roses🌹… Grab your Favorite hot beverage, cuddle close with your lovely and enjoy a few love quotes and poems. Happy Valentine's Day!! 💘 Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/
POEM RESEARCH:
Robert Burns: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43812/a-red-red-rose
William Wordsworth: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45550/she-was-a-phantom-of-delight?fbclid=IwAR23auJL2sqs8Ea4vvoIvHnbpRSlnVwujjxx0cSIi13cRFOmp14HQIrHLXM
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
EPISODE INTRO:
Who is your favorite president? One of mine is the legendary Theodore Roosevelt. TR was the 26th president of the United States. He was the inspiration for the teddy bear, a cowboy, a police commissioner, a soldier, and an explorer. But most of all, he was an all-around rebel renegade, and sparkplug. Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/
THE MAN IN THE ARENA BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT:
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
RESEARCH:
Theodore Roosevelt - His Life And Work Written by Frederick Drinker and Jay Mowbray, 1919.
American Boys' Life Of Theodore Roosevelt - Written by Edward Stratemeyer, 1904
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
Link Tree To All My Sites: https://linktr.ee/aguywithbooks
EPISODE NOTES:
For this episode I mix my love for film🎬 and poetry… Dead Poets Society and Whitman. Walt Whitman is America’s world poet—a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare. In Leaves of Grass, he celebrated democracy, nature, love, and friendship. This monumental work chanted praises to the body as well as to the soul, and found beauty and reassurance even in death. Along with Emily Dickinson, Whitman is regarded as one of America’s most significant 19th-century poets and would influence later many poets, including Ezra Pound, William Carlos Williams, Allen Ginsberg, Simon Ortiz, C.K. Williams, and Martín Espada. Here is the archive that I mentioned during the podcast: https://whitmanarchive.org/ . Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/
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FULL POEM:
O Captain! My Captain! - By Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
I shared this poem from my personal book collection, Leaves of Grass (1891).
EPISODE NOTES:
🎉HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORD BYRON! The "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" Poet Lord Byron. Learn about the most flamboyant and notorious of the major English 💕Romantic poets, George Gordon, Lord Byron, was likewise the most fashionable poet of the early 1800s. Sponsored by my favorite tea, Oliver Pluff & Company. https://www.oliverpluff.com/
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FULL POEM:
She Walks in Beauty BY LORD BYRON (GEORGE GORDON)
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express,
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
Shared from: Poetical Works of Byron Illustrated, The Landscape Series of Poets… Gall & Ingles (London-Edinboro) publishers, Early 1800’s.
EPISODE NOTES:
As I look outside, I’m reminded of the fact that it’s still winter❄️. We had a nice snow last night and this morning, its cold 🧊and brisk with a wind blowing the snow. I’m going to share one of my favorite winter poems.
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FULL POEM:
Winter's Beauty by W H Davies
Is it not fine to walk in spring,
When leaves are born, and hear birds sing?
And when they lose their singing powers,
In summer, watch the bees at flowers?
Is it not fine, when summer's past,
To have the leaves, no longer fast,
Biting my heel where'er I go,
Or dancing lightly on my toe?
Now winter's here and rivers freeze;
As I walk out I see the trees,
Wherein the pretty squirrels sleep,
All standing in the snow so deep:
And every twig, however small,
Is blossomed white and beautiful.
Then welcome, winter, with thy power
To make this tree a big white flower;
To make this tree a lovely sight,
With fifty brown arms draped in white,
While thousands of small fingers show
In soft white gloves of purest snow.
Shared from: In Winter (Fytton Armstrong, 1931; limited edition of 290, illustrated by Edward Carrick; special limited edition of 15 on handmade paper also hand-coloured).
EPISODE NOTES:
I share a beautiful story about a famous writer ✍🏻who meets a young girl👧🏻 in the park. Who is the writer? He's Pretty Famous... Franz Kafka.
BOOK QUESTION HELP:
Uncle Charlie's Poems by Charles Noel Douglas. Copyright 1906, by J.S. Ogilvie Publishing. Signed by the author.
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EPISODE NOTES:
I talk a bit about Coach Andrew Wuellner. He is a Life Coach, Business Coach, Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach, Husband, and Father. He owns Wuellner Fitness LLC, a coaching & fitness company with the mission of empowering people with life-altering ideas and information. The belief is if strong people do strong things, they set strong examples. People will notice, people will follow and that is how you change a culture, and this is how you change a society. What we have seen recently has been an erosion of American culture and America needs a new identity. So, the writer is sharing a culture of ruggedness, stoicism, grit, strength, and most importantly, THINKING for yourself. If you want to grow stronger and you have a good heart, welcome to the family.
HOST CONTACT:
Don Mast - donaldmast@gmail.com
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Andrew Wuellner can be found on TicTok (@andrewwuellner on TicTok) / Instagram (@Coachandrewwuellner on Instagram) and via Youtube, search for Andrew Wuellner.
EPISODE NOTES:
I talk a bit about Hemingway. Particularly his book A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964. The closest Ernest Hemingway ever came to writing a memoir was, A Moveable Feast, where he reflected on his time living in Paris🗼 as a struggling writer✍🏻 with his first wife Hadley Richardson and their son, Jack (or ‘Bumby’). I’ve explored many of Hemingway’s works and I simply love this particular book for both his deep exploration of writing and his writing about beloved Hadley –– which he believed to be the one true love of his life. 15 quotes from A Moveable Feast.
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I shared these 15 Hemingway quotes from a book in my private collection titled, A Moveable Feast, Scribners and Sons publishers, 1964.
EPISODE NOTES:
Having a cup of Irish Tea this morning while looking out my window and thinking back on the many great hikes and adventures my son and I shared throughout the summer in our wood that surround our town. When I think of nature, I think of one of my favorite poets. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (Daffodils💐) — William Wordsworth.
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FULL POEM:
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
I shared this poem from a book in my private collection titled The poetical works of William Wordsworth, William Collins and Sons, London/Glasgow, Published in the early 1800’s.
EPISODE NOTES:
While enjoying English Breakfast Tea and a Cherry Pipe, I reflect on youthful memories gone by and the winter season. I share one of my favorite poems. Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening— By Robert Frost.
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FULL POEM:
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
I shared this poem from a book in my private collection titled Complete Poems of Robert Frost, Holt Rinehart, Winston, Published June 1949.
EPISODE NOTES:
Today I share one of my favorite poems. Don't Quit— By John Greenleaf Whittier, Fireside Poet.
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FULL POEM:
Keep Going
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
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 don’t you quit.
Life is strange \ queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
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.
#Poems #Poetry #Books #Whittier
EPISODE NOTES:
Today I share one of my favorite poems. If— By Rudyard Kipling as included in (‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies) A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943).
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FULL POEM:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
#poem #books #kipling