- Let me sing the songs for the people.

Songs for the old and young songs stir like a battle cry wherever they are sung.

Songs for the people is by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper.

When I pick a poem, I wanted to speak for me.

I wanna speak the poem to other people and have it speak to them.

And I really liked it because it kind of talks about different types of people and how sometimes the world isn't built for us and the world is crazy.

But you know what?

Here is a song, a poem that just kind of bring back and remember, "it's okay.

Be optimistic.

We shall Get through it."

'Songs for the People' by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper.

Let me sing the songs for the people.

Songs for the old and young.

Songs to stir like a battle-cry wherever they are sung.

Not for the clashing of sabres, for carnage, nor for strife, but songs to thrill the hearts of men before abundant life.

Let me make the songs for the weary amid life's fever and fret till hearts shall relax their tension, and careworn brows forget.

Let me sing for little children before their footsteps stray.

Sweet anthems of love and duty to float old lives' highway.

I would sing for the poor and aged when shadows dim their sight of the bright and restful mansions.

Or there shall be no night.

Our world's so worn and weary needs music, pure and strong.

To hush the jangle and discords of sorrow, pain and wrong music to soothe all its sorrow.

To war and crime shall cease in the hearts of men.

Grown, tender, girdle the world with peace.

- [Narrator] Funded by the North Dakota Council on the Arts and by the members of Prairie Public.