The Ely Miner

A MAN WHO CAN
by O. LAWRENCE HAWTHORNE

Let me be known as a man who can-
As a man who is eager to try!
I may not finish what I began,
But the spirit of do-it-or-die
Will take me far in whatever game
I chance to play in pursuit of fame.

Let me be ready for any test,
Any problem that duty shall bring.
I may not win, though I do my best,
But defeat has a less bitter sting
For him who knows that men do succeed
Whose hearts are true to a noble creed.

Let me be willing to fight my way
To the goal I have chosen to gain.
The path may prove to be hard each day
And my efforts may seem all in vain,
But I shall know what it means to feel
The ceaseless urge of a great ideal.

Let me so live that the world will see
In the record I'm leaving behind,
No sign of fear or despondency,
But high courage of heart and of mind.
Consistent with a progressive plan
Let me be known as a man who can!