Give Your Best
Every man who does his best
gives equal in terms of effort.
The one who fails to do all he can
becomes to the nation a debtor.
The one who fails to do his best,
though he does twice as much as another,
is punished for his laxity,
not rewarded for outdoing his brother.
A soldier in the heat of combat,
given a task that matched his skill,
failed to do the best he could,
though plenteous was the kill.
He was driven hard by the glorious thought
of a medal to pin on his chest;
but just because he quit too soon,
in the Earth he lies to rest.
The lust of honor impels a man
to more desperate effort expend
than the love of money or comfort;
glory stays with him in the end.
The God-given endowments of a man
fix the measure of his best.
So whether you work for money or fame,
give your worth to match the rest.
10-17-93
The idea for this poem came from
a book by Edward Bellamy
called “Looking Backward”
from 2000 to 1887. (pg-152-154)
By ArtisticPoet48
© 2008 ArtisticPoet48
(All rights reserved)
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