In these days of economic stress, international crises, and Washingtonian inanity, music and poetry often seem to offer me the only true consolation and encouragement. Tonight I offer a poem of Edgar Guest. It is on the simplistic side, yet useful for what people are facing now. In its descriptive words I hope it will offer a degree of inspiration and hope.

Don't Quit


When things go wrong, as they sometimes will.
When the road you are trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must -- but don't you quit!

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow --
You might succeed with another blow....

Success is failure turned inside out --
the silver tint of the clouds of doubt --
And you can never tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit --
It's when things get worse that you mustn't quit.

Robert Schuller adds this admonition: "Don't trust the clouds -- trust the sunshine...."