How Did You Die? by Edmund Vance Cooke

Gaylene reminded ShebolithSays…of this Memorable Memory.  She and I were privileged to attend a young ladies finishing school back in the 60’s.  The drama class was tasked with giving a poem recital one Sunday afternoon.  Gaylene stood on the stage, stern and somber, beside her was a gurney and on the gurney laid a body covered with a white sheet.  Gaylene’s presentation of this poem was quite dramatic her voice resonate and somber but the “corpse” stole the show when an arm flopped out from under the sheet during the second stanza and the laughter erupted from the audience!

How Did You Die?

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way

With a resolute heart and cheerful?

Or hide your face from the light of day

With a craven soul and fearful?

Oh, a trouble’s a ton, or a troubles an ounce,

Or a trouble is what you make it,

And it isn’t the fact that you’re hurt that counts,

But only how did you take it?

You are beaten to earth?  Well, well, what’s that!

Come up with a smiling face.

It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,

But to lie there--that’s disgrace.

The harder you’re thrown, why the higher you bounce

Be proud of your blackened eye!

It isn’t the fact that you’re licked that counts;

It’s how did you fight--and why?

And though you be done to the death, what then?

If you battled the best you could,

If you played your part in the world of men,

Why, the Critic will call it good.

Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,

And whether he’s slow or spry,

It isn’t the fact that you’re dead that counts,

But only how did you die?

By:  Edmund Vance Cooke