It Cannot be Done?

Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done,

      But he with a chuckle replied

That “maybe it couldn’t” but he would be the one

      Who wouldn’t say no till he tried

So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin —

      On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn’t be done and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

      At least no one has ever done it”:

But he took off his hat and he took off his coat,

      And the first thing he knew he had begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

      Without any doubting or quiddit.

He started to sing as he tackled that thing

      That couldn’t be done and he did it …

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

      There are thousands to prophesy failure;

There are thousands to point out to, one by one,

      The dangers that wait to assail you

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin.

      Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start to sing as you tackle that thing

     That “cannot be done” and you will do it.