The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

The Ladder Of St. Augustine by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Ladder Of St. Augustine by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Saint Augustine! well hast thou said,
That of our vices we can frame
A ladder, if we will but tread
Beneath our feet each deed of shame!

All common things, each day's events,
That with the hour begin and end,
Our pleasures and our discontents,
Are rounds by which we may ascend.

The low desire, the base design,
That makes another's virtues less;
The revel of the ruddy wine,
And all occasions of excess;

The longing for ignoble things;
The strife for triumph more than truth;
The hardening of the heart, that brings
Irreverence for the dreams of youth;

All thoughts of ill; all evil deeds,
That have their root in thoughts of ill;
Whatever hinders or impedes
The action of the nobler will;--

All these must first be trampled down
Beneath our feet, if we would gain
In the bright fields of fair renown
The right of eminent domain.

We have not wings, we cannot soar;
But we have feet to scale and climb
By slow degrees, by more and more,
The cloudy summits of our time.

The mighty pyramids of stone
That wedge-like cleave the desert airs,
When nearer seen, and better known,
Are but gigantic flights of stairs.

The distant mountains, that uprear
Their solid bastions to the skies,
Are crossed by pathways, that appear
As we to higher levels rise.

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

Standing on what too long we bore
With shoulders bent and downcast eyes,
We may discern--unseen before--
A path to higher destinies.
 

Nor deem the irrevocable Past,
As wholly wasted, wholly vain,
If, rising on its wrecks, at last
To something nobler we attain.

The Sun Will Shine, Author Unknown

The Sun Will Shine, Author Unknown

The sun will shine tomorrow

The rain will somehow end

This is not only a promise

It’s just the way it is

Bad times don’t last forever

The tough times they never stay

The heartache and the let down

Will soon go away

In times of deep sadness

The pain is all too real

And it’s hard to believe

That with time the hurt will heal

The dark clouds that hang above

Will eventually move on

And the storms that dance around

Will soon be gone

Stay strong and keep in mind

That again, the sun will shine

Life Is Precious , Author Unknown

Life Is Precious , Author Unknown

Life is so precious

And each day a gift

So enjoy every minute

As it were you last to live

Cherish your loved ones

Hug them tight

Share with them your heart

And your time

Nothing is forever

And life goes so fast

Each minute that passes

Is one you can’t get back

When troubles arrive

And knock you off your feet

Stand up and smile

And remember life is too sweet

Every morning when you wake,

Decide right from the start,

That “Today will be a good day”

And let it all in with an open heart

I Want You To Remember , Author Unknown

I Want You To Remember , Author Unknown

When the world brings you down

And hurtful words break your heart

Don’t turn around

And walk away from who you are

Stand up for your beliefs

Trust in what you know

In yourself you’ll find strength

Not in another soul

Life is full of chances

Some you’ll surely take

Though from some you’ll learn a lesson

And those we call mistakes

Just because someone tells you

That it can’t be done

Doesn’t mean you must adhere

Or that you should give up

What I want you to remember

And hold close to your heart

Is that you can do anything If only you try

It doesn’t matter who you are