When I was younger, my Dad would take me to his desk periodically where he had some wonderful pieces displayed beneath glass to inspire him.
One such piece was a poem clipped from the newspaper many moons ago. The newspaper at the time didn’t know who the author was, but I have since discovered the source of what has become one of my top ten favorite poems…
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‘The man in the glass’ by Dale Winthrop, 1934
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“When you get what you want in your struggle for self, and the world makes you king for a day, just go to a mirror and look at yourself, and see what that man has to say.
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For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife, whose judgment upon you must pass, the fellow whose verdict counts most in your life, is the one staring back from the glass.
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Some people might think you’re a straight shootin’ chum, and call you a wonderful guy, but the man in the glass says you’re only a bum, if you can’t look him straight in the eye.
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He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest, for he’s with you clear up to the end, and you’ve passed your most dangerous difficult test, if the man in the glass is your friend.
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You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years, and get pats on your back as you pass, but your final reward will be heartaches and tears, if you’ve cheated the man in the glass.”
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This poem has humbled me my entire life. Whether it was time spent in memorization, or being convicted by its content across my days, It has been the continually raising bar I have watched along the way. With God’s necessary help, I have grown to be friends with the man in the glass. Thank you for reading/liking/sharing/following/appreciating/acknowledging my work, and the work of other artists trying to find our way home. Thank you Dad for the inspiration along the way.
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