Another gem from Ella Wheeler Wilcox—
Do you wish the world were better?
Let me tell you what to do.
Set a watch upon your actions,
Keep them always straight and true.
Rid your mind of selfish motives,
Let your thoughts be clean and high.
You can make a little Eden
Of the sphere you occupy.
Do you wish the world were wiser?
Well, suppose you make a start,
By accumulating wisdom
In the scrapbook of your heart;
Do not waste one page on folly;
Live to learn, and learn to live
If you want to give men knowledge
You must get, ere you give.
Do you wish the world were happy?
Then remember day by day
Just to scatter seeds of kindness
As you pass along the way,
For the pleasures of the many
May be ofttimes traced to one,
As the hand that plants an acorn
Shelters armies from the sun.
Craig T. Owens 
March 4, 2011 at 8:49 pm
As you know Craig, I really admire this poet, and it started with seeing her poetry referenced here on your blog. I ordered her complete book of poetry, complete with the old lithographs of 19th century scenes and apparel of the day.
This poem however is in the subclass of her usual poetry I think. It has the sweet, and plaintiff aspect to it that suggests a Hallmark card. She has these flashes of extraordinary imagery that puts some of her poetry in a very high class. The last lines for example, of the last verse, have Shakespearean quality: “For the pleasures of the many may be ofttimes traced to one, as the hand that plants an acorn shelters armies from the sun.”
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