Dirt By Robert W. Service

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Dirt is just matter out or place, So scientists aver; But when I see a miner's face I wonder if they err. For grit and grime and grease may be In God's constructive plan, A symbol of nobility, The measure of a man.

There's nought so clean as honest dirt, So of its worth I sing; I value more an oily shirt Than garment of a king. There's nought so proud as honest sweat, And though its stink we cuss, We kid-glove chaps are in the debt Of those who sweat for us.

It's dirt and sweat that makes us folks Proud as we are today; We owe our wealth to weary blokes Befouled by soot and clay. And where you see a belly fat A dozen more are lean. . . . By God! I'd sooner doff my hat To washer-wife than queen.

So here's a song to dirt and sweat, A grace to grit and grime; A hail to workers who beet The wonders of our time. And as they gaze, through gutter-girt, To palaces enskied, Let them believe, by sweat and dirt, They, too, are glorified.

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Found this poem after a hard day of diggin a foundation. Thought someone might enjoy. Anyone have a poem site on the country theme?....Kirk...

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), August 09, 2000

Answers

Sorry! This didn't paste in poem style. Cut and paste.................http://www.ude.net/verse/dirt.html....Kirk

-- Kirk Davis (kirkay@yahoo.com), August 09, 2000.

I love this piece. I have always been a fan of humanistic poetry, including haiku. One of my favorite: (who's author I can't remember, but probably Basho) (translation not in haiku form)

Not to worry, spiders. I keep house casually.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 10, 2000.

I absolutely love that spider Haiku!!! Thank you so much. I am going to print it up real pretty and hang it on my fridge. My kids have always been taught that we either leave spiders alone, or we scoop them up gently and shake them outside. Now, I often overhear them teaching other kids to do this. One of the bright spots of parenting!

-- Shannon (Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary) (gratacres@aol.com), August 10, 2000.

Thanks for the poem, Kirk! I like many of Robert Service's poems, we have a whole book of them. The first "theatre production" I ever saw was "The Shooting of Dan McGrew". His poems made good "reading aloud" material for my daughters, as they have such good rhythm and, well, I can't think of the word I want -- but Robert Service could! Such good usage of words, I guess. Anyway, the girls always used to enjoy it when we would read his stuff.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 10, 2000.