Читать книгу Songs I Sing - B. Germain Reynolds - Страница 15

Inside Voice

One has to know, one has to care,

Of who, what, and where,

Of the time to stand up, and when to sit

When to volley the ball, or make a big hit

How to make a splash

Whether to be the flash

If to raise the alarm

Or turn on the charm

At the rally, on a plane

In the crowded rush hour train

Of the time and place

When to exit the race

Of the mood in the room

The best words to lower the boom

Of the temperature of the soup

And the mission of the group,

To run with the pack, or bring up the rear

To lower the volume, modulate the fear

One needs to be sure, one needs to set the tone

Letting things be, or be the dog with the bone

No matter the cause, thinkers think twice

Holding that ignorance is man’s mortal vice.

To atone is to turn away

And start a new day

To learn how

To act now

To count the cost

And admit when one is lost

To deal thoughtfully with dangers

And cautiously with strangers

To run if there’s a fire

And carry a spare tire

To learn how to sing a new song

To rest after a night long

To rise with the birds

Wasting no time on mean words

To practice what one preaches

Seeking what the good book teaches

Cherishing one’s dreams

Living within one’s means

Working for a better way

Speaking out when there is something to say

One has to try, one has to swallow the pill

Surrendering self, ruling over free will

One has to aim high

Figuring out the how and why

Shunning evil, digging for gold

Resolving one’s soul would never be sold

Managing need, sparing no pain

Daily making a bargain

To live by smart choice

And raise only the inside voice.