"The Things That Haven't Been Done Before"
The Things That Haven't Been Done Before is about being the initiator for new ideas, for trying to do things that others may not believe are possible.| It is said that if you hold a stick in front of the foremost sheep in a flock that files down a trail in the mountains, he will jump it--and that every sheep thereafter will jump when he reaches the spot, even if the stick is removed. Many people are unthinking imitators, blind to the facts and opportunities that are around them. Often, someone has to do something first before others realize they can do it too. Don't be a sheep... be the initiator. |
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Dream of Doing the Impossible!  | | Stonehenge was Built in Four Stages Beginning Sometime Around 3,100 B.C. | | Richard Nowitz | | 24x18 Photographic Print | | Buy From Art.com |  | |
The Things That Haven't Been Done Before
The things that haven't been done before,
Those are the things to try;
Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore
At the rim of the far-flung sky,
And his heart was bold and his faith was strong
As he ventured in dangers new,
And he paid no heed to the jeering throng
Or the fears of the doubting crew.
The many will follow the beaten track
With guideposts on the way,
They live and have lived for ages back
With a chart for every day.
Someone has told them it's safe to go
On the road he has traveled o'er,
And all that they ever strive to know
Are the things that were known before.
A few strike out, without map or chart,
Where never a man has been,
From the beaten paths they draw apart
To see what no man has seen.
There are deeds they hunger alone to do;
Though battered and bruised and sore,
They blaze the path for the many, who
Do nothing not done before.
The things that haven't been done before
Are the tasks worth while to-day;
Are you one of the flock that follows, or
Are you one that shall lead the way?
Are you one of the timid souls that quail
At the jeers of a doubting crew,
Or dare you, whether you win or fail,
Strike out for a goal that's new?
~Edgar A. Guest (1881 - 1959)
Originally from England, Guest and his family moved to America in 1891 where he became known as the People's Poet. After he began at the Detroit Free Press as a copy boy and then a reporter, his first poem appeared December 11, 1898. He became a naturalized citizen in 1902. For 40 years, Guest's sentimental and optimistic poems were widely read throughout North America. More Selected Poems From GuestIt Couldn't Be Done
How Do You Tackle Your Work?
See It Through
The World Is Against Me
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The Things That Haven't Been Done Before
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Inspirational Poems of Hope and Courage
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