This poem was probably written in the 30’s because it was published in 1941. It has been passed down through many generations. I have hundreds more like them in the library that God has blessed me with—some dating back into the 1800’s.

OL’ CLOTHES

The Junk Man passed the house today

And gave his call in his plaintive way”:

“Ol’ clothes!

Ol’ clothes!

Ol. Clothes!

Any ol’ clothes to throw away?

Any ol’ dishes…any ol’ plates,

Any ol’ pants or hats or skates,

Any ol’ kettles or pots or pans,

Any ol’ bottles or ol’ tin cans,

Any ol’ dresses or any ol’ shoes,

Any ol’ things that you can’t use?

Ol’ clothes!

Ol’ clothes!

Ol’ clothes!”

I searched the house and made a heap

Of things that I didn’t need to keep,

Outworn garments and out-read books,

Clothes that had hung on rusty hooks

For the dust to grime and the moths to chew,

And thus the old made way for the new.

I thought, as the old man went his way,

How grand it would be if every day

The Junk Man passed my house to say,

“Ol’ woes

Ol’ woes

Ol’ woes

Any ol’ woes to throw away?

Any ol’ grudges…any ol’ hates,

Any ol’ miseries or sad ol’ dates,

Any ol’ sorrows or any ol’ spites,

Any ol’ fusses or feuds or fights,

Any ol’ sighs or any ol’ tears,

Any ol’ wishing for yesteryears,

Any ol’ quarrels or any ol’ frets,

Any ol’ tears or ol’ regrets?

Ol’ woes!

Ol’ woes!

Ol woes!”

Don’t throw away your most valuable possession, your soul. Next, don’t throw away your friends and your family.

I want you to remember that there is no defeat in life, save from within, unless you’re beaten at that location, you’re bound to win for the Lord. God wants all of us to run the spiritual race.

I believe that it was Edgar A. Guest who wrote, “…You can triumph and come to skill. You can be great if you only will. You are well equipped (spiritually) for what fight you choose. You have legs and arms and a brain to use, and the man who has risen great deeds to do, began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face. You are the one who must choose your place. You must say where you want to go, how much you will study the truth to know. God has equipped you for life, but He lets you decide what you want to be.”

Have a high resolve by holding your candle light of Christian testimony high, and then perhaps you’ll see the hearts of people, above the sordidness of life, beyond misunderstandings, and strife, beyond the many foolish, rash, sinful deeds that others do.

Do your best to perceive through spiritually enlightened eyes of faith. When you come to die, may it be said, “The world is a better place because I refused to throw my soul and life away--instead I became a true Christian and loved Christ today.”