One of my favorite poems is "If", by Rudyard Kipling. It is a really great poem, which I would recommend that you all read. One day, I found a poem called "'If' for Girls", by J.P. McEvoy. I love this one even more. It's what i want to be.
"If you can hear the whispering about you,
And never yield to deal in whispers, too;
If you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you,
And never doubt, in turn, what loved ones do;
If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit
In spite of fame or fortune, rank or place,
And though you win your goal or only near it,
Can win with poise and lose with equal grace;
If you can meet with Unbelief, believing,
And hallow in your heart a simple Creed,
If you can meet Deception, undeceiving,
And learn to look to God for all you need;
If you can be what girls should be to mothers:
Chums in joy and comrades in distress,
And be unto others as you'd have the others
Be unto you - No more, and yet no less;
If you can keep within your heart the power
To say that firm, unconquerable "No";
If you can brave a present shadowed hour,
Rather than yield to build a future woe;
If you can love, yet not let loving master,
But keep yourself within your own self's clasp,
And not let dreaming lead you to disaster,
Nor pity's fascination loose your grasp;
If you can lock your heart on confidences,
Nor ever needlessly in turn confide;
If you can put behind you all pretenses
Of mock humility or foolish pride:
If you can keep the simple, homely virtue
Of walking right with God - then have no fear
That anything in all the world can hurt you-
And - which is more - you'll be a Woman, dear."
When I saw this it reminded me of a poem by Frank Crane called Boy Wanted, so I thought I would share it with you. It illustrates the sort of person I want to be.
ReplyDelete"A boy who stands straight, sits straight, acts straight, and talks straight.
A boy who listens carefully when spoken to, who asks questions when he does not understand, and does not ask questions about things that are none of his business.
A boy whose fingernails are not in mourning, whose ears are clean, whose shoes are polished, whose clothes are brushed, whose hair is combed, and whose teeth are well cared for.
A boy who moves quickly and makes as little noise about it as possible.
A boy who whistles in the street but not where he ought to keep still.
A boy who looks cheerful, has a ready smile for everybody, and never sulks.
A boy who is polite to every man and respectful to every woman and girl.
A boy who does not smoke and has no desire to learn how.
A boy who never bullies other boys or allows boys to bully him.
A boy who, when he does not know a thing, says, “I do not know”; and when he has made a mistake says, “I’m sorry”; and, when requested to do anything, immediately says, “I’ll try.”
A boy who looks you right in the eye and tells the truth every time.
A boy who would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than tell a lie or be a cad.
A boy who is more eager to know how to speak good English than to talk slang.
A boy who does not want to be “smart” nor in anywise attract attention.
A boy who is eager to read good, wholesome books.
A boy whom other boys like.
A boy who is perfectly at ease in the company of respectable girls.
A boy who is not a goody-goody, a prig, or a little Pharisee, but just healthy, happy, and full of life.
A boy who is not sorry for himself and not forever thinking and talking about himself.
A boy who is friendly with his mother and more intimate with her than with anyone else.
A boy who makes you feel good when he is around.
This boy is wanted everywhere. The family wants him, the school wants him, the office wants him, the boys and girls want him, and all creation wants him."
Thank you for that poem. It is very inspiring. I'm going to share it with my brothers.
ReplyDeleteMegan,
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.