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| HOMELY phrase of our southland bright— | |
| Keep steady step to the flam of the drum; | |
| Touch to the left—eyes to the right— | |
| Sing with the soul tho’ the lips be dumb. | |
| Hard to be good when the wind ’s in the east; | 5 |
| Hard to be gay when the heart is down; | |
| When “they that trouble you are increased,” | |
| When you look for a smile and see a frown. | |
| But | |
| “Keep sweet and keep movin’.” | 10 |
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| Sorrow will shade the blue sky gray— | |
| Gray is the color our brothers wore; | |
| Sunshine will scatter the clouds away; | |
| Azure will gleam in the skies once more. | |
| Colors of Patience and Hope are they— | 15 |
| Always at even in one they blend; | |
| Tinting the heavens by night and day, | |
| Over our hearts to the journey’s end. | |
| Just | |
| “Keep sweet and keep movin’.” | 20 |
| |
| Hard to be sweet when the throng is dense, | |
| When elbows jostle and shoulders crowd; | |
| Easy to give and to take offence | |
| When the touch is rough and the voice is loud; | |
| “Keep to the right” in the city’s throng; | 25 |
| “Divide the road” on the broad highway; | |
| There ’s one way right when everything ’s wrong; | |
| “Easy and fair goes far in a day.” | |
| Just | |
| “Keep sweet and keep movin’.” | 30 |
| |
| The quick taunt answers the hasty word— | |
| The lifetime chance for a “help” is missed; | |
| The muddiest pool is a fountain stirred, | |
| A kind hand clenched makes an ugly fist. | |
| When the nerves are tense and the mind is vexed, | 35 |
| The spark lies close to the magazine; | |
| Whisper a hope to the soul perplexed— | |
| Banish the fear with a smile serene— | |
| Just | |
| “Keep sweet and keep movin’.” | 40 |
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