Go save thy ship, thou sluggard; take the wheel And steer to knowledge, glory, and success. Great mariners have made the pathway plain For thee to follow; hold thou to the course Of Concentration Channel, and all things Shall come in answer to thy swerveless wish As comes the needle to the magnet’s call, Or sunlight to the prisoned blade of grass That yearns all winter for the kiss of spring.
All in the dark we grope along, And if we go amiss We learn at least which path is wrong, And there is gain in this.
We do not always win the race By only running right; We have to tread the mountain’s base Before we reach its height.
The Christs alone no errors made; So often had they trod The paths that lead through light and shade, They had become as God.
As Krishna, Buddha, Christ again, They passed along the way, And left those mighty truths which men But dimly grasp to-day.
But he who loves himself the last And knows the use of pain, Though strewn with errors all his past, He surely shall attain.
Some souls there are that needs must taste Of wrong, ere choosing right; We should not call those years a waste Which led us to the light.
A yacht from its harbour ropes pulled free, And leaped like a steed o’er the race-track blue, Then up behind her the dust of the sea, A gray fog, drifted, and hid her from view.
Love thyself last. Look near, behold thy duty To those who walk beside thee down life’s road. Make glad their days by little acts of beauty And help them bear the burden of earth’s load.
Love thyself last. Look far and find the stranger Who staggers ’neath his sin and his despair; Go, lend a hand, and lead him out of danger, To heights where he may see the world is fair.
Love thyself last. The vastnesses above thee Are filled with Spirit-Forces; strong and pure And fervently these faithful friends shall love thee Keep thou thy watch o’er others and endure.
Love thyself last, and oh! such joy shall thrill thee As never yet to selfish souls was given; Whate’er thy lot, a perfect peace will fill thee, And earth shall seem the ante-room of Heaven.
Love thyself last, and thou shalt grow in spirit To see, to hear, to know, and understand. The message of the stars, lo, thou shalt hear it, And all God’s joys shall be at thy command.