God Give Us Men

God give us men! A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands! Men whom the lust of office does not kill. Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy. Men who love honour, men who cannot lie.                                       J. G. Holland (1794-1872)

Four Things

Four things a man must learn to do if he would make his record true: To think without confusion clearly; To love his fellow-men sincerely; to act from honest motives purely; To trust God and Heaven securely. Henry Van Dyee

Merry-Go-Round

Where is the Jim Crow section on this merry-go-round, mister, cause I want to ride? Down South where I come from white and colored can’t sit side by side. Down South on the train there’s a Jim Crow car. On the bus we’re put in the back – but there ain’t no back to a merry-go-round! Where’s the horse for a kid that’s black?

Langston Hughes (1902 – 1967)

A True Maid

‘No, no; for my virginity, when I lose that’ says Rose, ‘I’ll die.’ ‘Behind the elms last night,’ cried Dick, ‘Rose, were you not extremely sick?’                                      Matthew Prior (1664 – 1721)

Henry V at the Siege of Harfleur

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead! In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility; But when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger; Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Disguise fair nature with hard-favour’d rage; …                                                        William Shakespeare