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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

It Couldn't Be Done



It Couldn’t Be Done
Edgar Guest, 1881 - 1959

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’d 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 ever has 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 his 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.

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are taking place from August 5 to August 21 in Rio de Janeiro, with a long roster of events from archery, fencing, and sailing to basketball, boxing, soccer, and tennis. Get in the spirit by reading a poem on the triumph of the human spirit. We all know some of these athletes were told that they could never make it to the Olympics but they did. Take the 41 year old gymnast from Uzbekistan who was told she was too old, but is competing in her 7th Olympics. Don't let anyone tell you that something cannot be done, because with perseverance, it can be done.
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2 comments:

  1. SusanAugust 9, 2016 at 7:29 AM

    A wonderful, uplifting, new-to-me poem, Joe. Great to read first thing in the morning. Thanks so much for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. CarpAugust 20, 2016 at 9:03 PM

    Great poem!
    Sending it off to my daughter, a superb woodworker, who has succeeded beautifully doing things her teachers, mentors and elders have told her "could not be done". (Starting with being a successful female woodworker...)

    ReplyDelete

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