Do Not Worry
Do not worry over trifles, though
to you they may seem great,
All your fretting will not help you,
or your troubles dissipate.
If your sky is dark and gloomy,
and the sun is hid from view,
Bravely smile and keep on smiling,
And your friends will smile with you.
Happiness is so contagious, and a
smile is never lost;
Then why worry over trifles, tho
your heart seems tempest tossed.
Therefore go on life's journey
with an optimistic smile,
See the world is good to live in,
and that living is worth while.
How can we Fool the Rooster?
Written when the clock was set ahead one hour on April 1, 1918.
Our Rooster wakes at half-past five
And crows with all his might,
He tries to wake the people up
Before the day is light.
When Daddy hears the rooster crow
He knows he should awake
And light the kitchen fire, so Ma
Can cook the Johnny cake.
Now, maybe we can fool my Dad
That it's half-past five when it's half-past four,
And maybe the system's the best we have had
To fool some thousands of people or more;
But, how can we fool that rooster?
I have always thought our rooster had
A clock inside of his head,
And I don't know how we can fix it so
We can set the clock ahead.
I asked my Dad, and he said to me,
"Why, son, you surely know
A rooster's instinct wakens him
And tells him when to crow."
Now the hands of the clock we can turn ahead,
We can fool the people and feel content;
But the thing that worries me night and day,
And on which my entire thought is bent
Is, how can we fool that rooster?
A Wreath Of Flowers
Written for Decoration Day, May 30, 1918.
I wove me a wreath of flowers
To place in memories hall,
In honor of the brave and fearless men
Who had answered our country's call.
The men who had answered, and fought, and died
For the cause of freedom, our country's pride!
I wove me a wreath of flowers
With many a sigh and tear,
As a tribute to all the good and true
Who were given few honors here.
The man of humble piety
Who lived and died in obscurity.
A wreath of flowers, a little thing
For flowers wither and fade;
But the fragrance they shed is not soon forgot
By me, who the wreath has made.
So the virtues of those who have gone before,
Will always be treasured in memory's store.