WRITTEN THOUGHTS OF MASONS

IF

by Bro. Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
IF you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
IF you can wait and not be tired of waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

IF you can dream --and not make dreams your master;
IF you can think --and not make thoughts your aim,
IF you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters the same:
IF you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out-tools;

IF you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breath a word about your loss:
IF you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which say to them: "Hold on!"

IF you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings --nor lose the common touch,
IF neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
IF all men count with you, but none too much:
IF you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And --which is more-- you'll be a Man, my son!

 

The Door

I thought to myself, as my hands touched the door,
What in the world am I doing this for?
Dressed as I never expected to be,
Were they going to play some fools game with me?

I stood there a moment, when I heard the command,
You must knock on the door with your own hand.
The door opened slightly, I thought to go in,
But to my surprise, there were questions again.

I knew not the answers, but luck was with me,
My guide seemed to know what the answers should be!
When the door finally opened, and I was led in,
I said to myself..........It's about to begin!

When they start to laugh, I'll hold my head high,
I'll not step back, no matter what the outcry!
As I walked on in, I could feel their eyes,
But I heard no laughter......I heard no outcries.

They seemed to be following some sort of a skit,
I wasn't quite sure how all of it fit.
My apprehensions were eased, my fears were no more,
It was not as I imagined from without the door.

As I was soon to discover, it was a most solemn event,
Instruction and guidance were their only intent.
When it was all over I knew one thing for sure,
I would never regret..... that first knock on the door.

 

When The Master Brings Light

by Bro. Roy Winters, Elmhurst Lodge No. 941, A.F. & A.M.

I raised up believing that I, as a Mason,
Should do all the ritual right.
Each day I would look
Through that little blue book
And I'd take it to bed every night.

I studied each word
From the first through the third.
Some lectures I just set aside
From Solomon's Temple
I know its not simple
To get on a boat and just ride.

The names of the Fellows
And even the villians
Were easy enough to recall,
Til I got the big chair
Looking down from up there
I couldn't remember at all.

To prove that I'm bright,
When the Master brings light,
I whisper the words in his ear.
It's then I recall every line of it all
And I hope that my brothers can hear.

 

Secret Keepers

by Bro. M.M. Freeman

We are the Secret Keepers,
the Level Seekers,
Squared-stone Makers
and Plumb-line Takers.

We are the Shield Lurkers,
the Cement Workers.
We are the Secret Keepers
of The Keys.