Don’t Knock
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor polish a marble with knocks;
You’ll not long deceive with great clamor, my son,
Nor profit by throwing of rocks;
You never can rise to the heights of success
By pulling down others who’ve gained it.
By steadily working through storm and stress -
They’ve buckled to work, not disdained it.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor polish a diamond with bricks;
The world soon tires of mere glamor, my son,
And punctures the sharpest of tricks.
You never can rise by mere envy or hate,
Or growling at those who’ve succeeded
By honestly toiling both early and late -
’Tis workers, not shirkers, that’s needed.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor fasten bridge timbers with tacks;
The world soon shuns a wind-jammer, my son;
You can’t build to last with mere wax.
To win you must hustle with might and with main,
And give recompense for your wages,
For those who strive hardest deserve greatest gain -
True worth is the best of all gauges.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor write for the future in sand;
The world asks more than mere clamor, my son -
It’s work of the brain and the hand
So labor away with a whistle and laugh,
And scatter good cheer as you labor.
Don’t worry - the world soon winnows out chaff -
It’s the wheat that you sell to your neighbor.
by Will M. Maupin: as published in “The Commoner” newspaper
William Major ‘Will’ Maupin was born on 31 August 1863 in Callaway County, Missouri, United States of America. Early in his career he was a roaming reporter, traveling to places as distant as Winnipeg, Canada and Caracas, Venezuela. He became a newspaper columnist, editor, newspaper founder, civil servant, and book author, eventually settling in Nebraska. He worked for some 40 newspapers over his lifetime, including the “Omaha World-Herald,” “The Commoner,” and the “Hastings Democrat.” His published books include “Limnings” (1898), being the collected writings from his newspaper column of the same name, as well as “Whether Common or Not: A Little Book of Sketches and Verse” (1903), “Kiddies Six: A Modest Volume of Verse” (1911), “Nebraska Facts” (1918), and “Sunny Side Up: Poems” (1926). William Major ‘Will’ Maupin passed on at 84 years of age on 8 June 1948 in Nebraska, United States of America.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor polish a marble with knocks;
You’ll not long deceive with great clamor, my son,
Nor profit by throwing of rocks;
You never can rise to the heights of success
By pulling down others who’ve gained it.
By steadily working through storm and stress -
They’ve buckled to work, not disdained it.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor polish a diamond with bricks;
The world soon tires of mere glamor, my son,
And punctures the sharpest of tricks.
You never can rise by mere envy or hate,
Or growling at those who’ve succeeded
By honestly toiling both early and late -
’Tis workers, not shirkers, that’s needed.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor fasten bridge timbers with tacks;
The world soon shuns a wind-jammer, my son;
You can’t build to last with mere wax.
To win you must hustle with might and with main,
And give recompense for your wages,
For those who strive hardest deserve greatest gain -
True worth is the best of all gauges.
You can’t saw wood with a hammer, my son,
Nor write for the future in sand;
The world asks more than mere clamor, my son -
It’s work of the brain and the hand
So labor away with a whistle and laugh,
And scatter good cheer as you labor.
Don’t worry - the world soon winnows out chaff -
It’s the wheat that you sell to your neighbor.
by Will M. Maupin: as published in “The Commoner” newspaper
William Major ‘Will’ Maupin was born on 31 August 1863 in Callaway County, Missouri, United States of America. Early in his career he was a roaming reporter, traveling to places as distant as Winnipeg, Canada and Caracas, Venezuela. He became a newspaper columnist, editor, newspaper founder, civil servant, and book author, eventually settling in Nebraska. He worked for some 40 newspapers over his lifetime, including the “Omaha World-Herald,” “The Commoner,” and the “Hastings Democrat.” His published books include “Limnings” (1898), being the collected writings from his newspaper column of the same name, as well as “Whether Common or Not: A Little Book of Sketches and Verse” (1903), “Kiddies Six: A Modest Volume of Verse” (1911), “Nebraska Facts” (1918), and “Sunny Side Up: Poems” (1926). William Major ‘Will’ Maupin passed on at 84 years of age on 8 June 1948 in Nebraska, United States of America.
