When you get what you
want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you
King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and
look at yourself,
And see what that guy has
to say.
For it isn't your Father,
or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgment upon you
must pass.
The feller whose verdict
counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back
from the glass.
He's the feller to
please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear
up to the end,
And you've passed your
most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass
is your friend.
You may be like Jack
Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a
wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass
says you're only a bum
If you can't look him
straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole
world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back
as you pass,
But your final reward
will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy
in the glass.
"The Guy in the Glass"
Written in 1934
By Peter "Dale" Wimbrow Sr., 1895-1954
Author Unknown to us until August 2002, when we were
directed to the official story which includes
copyright information from
The American Magazine
where this was first published in 1934.
formerly referred to this poem as "Man in the
Glass".
