Gifts

 GIVE a man a horse he can ride, 
 Give a man a boat he can sail; 
And his rank and wealth, his strength and health, 
 On sea nor shore shall fail. 

Give a man a pipe he can smoke, 
 Give a man a book he can read: 
And his home is bright with a calm delight, 
 Though the room be poor indeed. 

Give a man a girl he can love, 
 As I, O my love, love thee; 
And his heart is great with the pulse of Fate, 
 At home, on land, on sea.

Form: Ballad Comments

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Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace