Class

Don't gloat in victory, or pout in failure;
Don't brag of your conquest and possessions;
Be considerate to the less fortunate and
Graceful with the defeated;
Suffer you must, but without a murmur of
Complaint;
Choose in your taste and avoid ostentation,
Showmanship, and buffoonery;
Let your actions, achievements, and accompaniments
Speak for you at the expense of your mouth;

Do and acquire what you like and not thing
You value highly for their impression on others;
And if they impress others, then let it be;
Stay in synch with your energy and mood,
While remaining polite, respectful, and responsible;
Listen well to your conscience and follow
The moral dictates of your natural way;
Although not perfect, try to do as many of these
As often as you can and will;
If so, you will earn an air of distinction and class
The birth, money, power, and status alone
Cannot bestow.
                                                -Frederick Douglas Harper