Poetic Tides Through Time

A Plucky Poem

                                       "There’s no thrill in easy sailing when the skies are clear and blue,
                                       There’s no joy in merely doing things which anyone can do.
                                       But there is some satisfaction that is mighty sweet to take
                                       When you reach a destination that you thought you’d never make."

         This was a poem I heard when I was in 6th grade. My Mom recited it to me and gave me a written copy of this verse. My whole life, this poem was often referenced during difficult times and times of achievement. It spoke to both my brother and me, suggesting we could reach whatever goals we set for ourselves. This verse also reminded us that taking the easy way did not always lead to a satisfying outcome. She also shared this with her grandchildren.

         When I was transcribing my mother's poems, I decided to research this verse. It stood out as different from her style of writing. Here is the entire poem by Edgar A. Guest, circa 1920. He was born in Birmingham, England in 1881 and migrated in 1891 with his family to Detroit, Michigan. He was a prolific writer, composing over 11,000 poems in his lifetime. You can read more about him and find additional poetry excerpts from his books here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Guest.

"Pluck" 

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Hi all!

My Mom used poetry to teach us about life whenever she could. This first poem is one of the earliest I recall and this post is in tribute to her. Today was her birthday. For Mom...

"A Plucky Poem" 

  Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.~~Robert Frost