"Somebody Said It Couldn't Be Done"

"Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing,
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
~
Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one has ever done it;"
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat
And the first thing we knew, he'd begun it.
With a lift of the chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,*
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.
~
There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure,
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
~

When you're up against trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it's vain to try and dodge it,
Do the best you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
~
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don't let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite all you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!"

~Edgar Guest

* - a subtilty; an equivocation ~Webster's 1828 Dictionary

* * *

Persevero,

Scribe