Those things are all right in their place,
But they are not life’s all.
Life is a problem serious,
Give it the best you have,
Succeed in all you undertake
And help your brother live.
If farming seems to be your call,
Then take hold of the plough,
And stick it down into the soil
Till sweat runs down your brow.
Then make this resolution firm:
“I’m going to do my best,
And stick this good old plough of mine
Down deeper than the rest.”
If you’re to be a carpenter
Then train your hand and eye
To work out angles, clean and clear
As any metal die.
Then read up on materials,
On beauty and on style,
And prove to all, the house you build
Is sure to be worth while.
Why sure, a banker, you can be,
A lawyer or a priest;
Or you can be a merchant prince,
Their work is not the least.
It makes no difference what you try
If you would get the best,
You’ll have to stick that plough of yours
Down deeper than the rest.
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NEGRO POETS AND THEIR POEMS
