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I Love Poetry

If—
(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)
By Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

~~~~
There is sometimes more wisdom written in old fashioned language and historical fiction than that found in words of recent studies, recent thoughts, and present-day intellectual minds.
JacquesSade
Thank you for sharing this one... it fills a need I've had of late... well found/shared!
RedHotCrazyPerson · 31-35, F
yes, I was looking for something to fill a similar need I am sure, and found it- seemed to fit with the inspiration I was looking for! Your welcome, thoughtful and intelligent words, are best shared....no need to hoard them.
JacquesSade
well, neither here nor there, but I suspect you have a whole stash of your own. If you don't already write poetry, I would encourage it. I suspect you are a natural!
RedHotCrazyPerson · 31-35, F
I do already write poetry- I'm not too shabby at it I must say :) I need to write it more often though. I've set aside a journal for poetry, and I've neglected it a little of late. Quotes, and poems, and words are sort of a guilty pleasure of mine.
Diablessse
This has long been a favorite of mine, ever since the first time i read it well over 30 years ago.

 
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