Isn’t it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each is given
A bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules.
And each must make –
Ere life is flown
A stumbling block
Or a steppingstone
The poem, A Bag of Tools, written by R. L. Sharpe (1870-1950), is timeless. Here we are, with perhaps more tools than ever before. Are our tools a stumbling block or stepping stone? What are your book rules?
Here’s actress Maggie Smith reciting Sharpe’s poem. Video provided by UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland).