Archive for September, 2008
Invictus
Here is another one of my favorite poems. As we walk along the path of life, we encounter a lot of crossroads. Some roads are rough and some are smooth. It is a human instinct to struggle and fight whatever obstacles come our way. As long as we believe that God is with us through all those difficult and happy times, then we can conquer anything. Once we succeed, then we truly are the ‘master of our fate’ and the ‘captain of our souls.’
OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbow’d.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
by: William Earnest Henley; 1849-1903
1 comment September 24, 2008
Don’t Quit
I’d like to share with you a poem that i learned from my english teacher during my high school days. This poem inspires me, motivates me and lifts my spirits when i am feeling down. Whenever certain circumstances in my life don’t go exactly the way i want, i just recite this poem to myself. It really does make me feel good and empowered. I feel like i can do anything that i want. I just have to wait for the right moment, the right time, and keep on going…
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
by: Clinton Howell
Add comment September 23, 2008
