(7 June 1917 – 3 December 2000 / Topeka, Kansas)

poet Gwendolyn Brooks
#67 on top 500 poets
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Speech to the Young : Speech to the Progress-Toward

Say to them,
say to the down-keepers,
the sun-slappers,
the self-soilers,
the harmony-hushers,
"even if you are not ready for day
it cannot always be night."
You will be right.
For that is the hard home-run.

Live not for battles won.
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along.

Submitted: Thursday, January 01, 2004


Read poems about / on: song, home, sun, night, running

Comments about this poem (Speech to the Young : Speech to the Progress-Toward by Gwendolyn Brooks )

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  • Eric Murugami (3/11/2010 7:51:00 AM)

    Words last a lifetime.

    http: //emurugami.blogspot.com/2010/02/we-are-important.html

    9 person liked.
    		5 person did not like.
  • Shelley L Baxter-Stanley (9/15/2007 4:54:00 PM)

    Another wonderous inspiring poem! I so Love Gwendolyn works...she was brilliant in her time and in modern times.Wish she was still around to write....10/10
    =Shelley=

    6 person liked.
    		3 person did not like.
  • Shorty Trouble (12/6/2006 2:58:00 PM)

    Hey ya'll, This poem is very interesting! It's really just saying to live in the present and not the past! I got to go to class! More info later, maybe! !

    8 person liked.
    		3 person did not like.
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