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1866–1932

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Edmund Vance Cooke

Chap. I., verse , is where you'll find The text of what is in my mind If, haply, you are so inclined. Chap. I., verse — the primal rule

For saint or sinner, sage or fool, No matter what his church or school. Though you may call it slangy solely, Though you may term it flippant wholly,

Truth still is truth and is not vexed; I write this rhyme to prove the text — Get Next. Suppose I sought some lonely height

And dipped a stylus in the light Of welding worlds and sought to write Upon the highest, deepest blue My message to Sam Smith and you.

The chances are it would not do. You would not risk your neck to read My much too altitudinous screed, And I, chagrined and half-perplexed,

Had missed you when I missed my text — Get Next. Suppose you have a breakfast food Which you conceive I should include

Within my lat-and-longitude. ‘ T is not enough to have the stuff, But you must post, and praise, and puff, Until I memo. on my cuff,

Among my most important notes — Be sure to bring home Oatless Oats. And then you know that I'm annexed, Because you followed out the text —

Get Next. Get next! get next! and hold it true There's one you must get nextest to, And that important one is you.

Be not of those who, uncommuned With their own skins, have all but swooned From some imaginary wound, But strip the rags from off your soul

And find you are not maimed, but whole! ‘ T is but a flea-bite which has vexed As soon as you've applied the text — Get Next.

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GET NEXT. · Edmund Vance Cooke · Poetry Cove