Keep A-Pluggin’ Away

Keep A-Pluggin’ Away
 
I’ve a humble little motto
     That is homely, though it’s true, -
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
     It’s a thing when I’ve an object
That I always try to do, -
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When you’ve rising storms to quell,
     When opposing waters swell,
It will never fail to tell, -
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
 
If the hills are high before
     And the paths are hard to climb,
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
     And remember that successes
Come to him who bides his time, -
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
From the greatest to the least,
     None are from the rule released.
Be thou toiler, poet, priest,
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
 
Delve away beneath the surface,
     There is treasure farther down, -
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
     Let the rain come down in torrents,
Let the threat’ning heavens frown,
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
When the clouds have rolled away,
     There will come a brighter day
All your labor to repay, -
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
 
There’ll be lots of sneers to swallow.
     There’ll be lots of pain to bear, -
Keep a-pluggin’ away.
     If you’ve got your eye on Heaven,
Some bright day you’ll wake up there,
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
Perseverance still is king;
     Time its sure reward will bring;
Work and wait unwearying, -
     Keep a-pluggin’ away.
 
by Paul Laurence Dunbar