Pathwaytofree

The Guy in the Glass

by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,

And the world makes you King for a day,

Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,

And see what that guy has to say.



For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,

Who judgement upon you must pass.

The feller whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the guy staring back from the glass.



He's the feller 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 guy in the glass is your friend.



You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,

And think you're 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.



You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Hevyn

I've always loved it - but didn't know it was that old. Thanks, Pathway.

least

I've heard that before but not the whole thing. I had to look up "pelf". Thank you for posting it!

Redmayne

Sometimes walking away has nothing to do with weakness and everything to do with strength.

We walk away not because we want others to realize our worth or value, but because we realize our own.


You can often see this in a mirror, especially when you say the magic word,'Hello.'

Pathwaytofree

I had to look up "pelf" too. ;-)

I appreciate the reminder this poem brings to me of the self-awareness and self-honesty that my recovery program gifted to me. It's also a reminder to myself of the quote "to thy own self be true".

The 9th step promises say we can look the world in the eye again. This poem reminds me that that includes that we can look at our own reflection again in the eye.

Peace.

Ann

I love that poem too, a good reminder to stay true to myself and my values and always be able to look myself in the eye.

Here is some interesting information about the author, whose name is often left off of the poem, thank you for including it here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Wimbrow

Hevyn

Interesting! He was born in the tiny town next to where I lived for 6 yrs (Ocean City, MD). I never knew the author's name until now.

Redmayne

As I'm now a self directed student of the practices and principles of Stoic philosophy, first attracted to it because of its links to the Serenity prayer which may as well have come from the lips of Epictetus . One of the three novas of it along with Seneca and Marcus Aurelius...I remember him also saying,'We are all little souls dragging a cadaver around.'

One of the prime responsibilities of which us to 'honour our souls' simply done by trying, to the best of our abilities to be wise, temperate, courageous and just.

Perhaps enhanced by the last line of William Ernest Henley's poem 'Invictus','I am Master of My Fate, I am Captain of My Soul'...a poem much used and admired by the late Nelson Mandela during his 'long march to freedom' which, for me at least smacks very much of both mine and I'd suggest many others road to recovery...

I've always liked this to from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,'We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience'.

It help me not to forget my soul, which I undoubtedly , and much worse, did in my 'drinking days'...

Pathwaytofree

Thanks Redmayne.
Your post reminds me of this bit of simplicity: "Your eyes are the window to your soul".