Sunday, February 01, 2009

If

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 all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath 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!

--Rudyard Kipling

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe, you should start a men's mag or write for one, I just couldn't put it down till the end. Awesome stuff!!!
We also have a treditional men's passage in our Hutterite church. The eve of his Birthday he will be advised by the teacher in the children's dining room on what is expected of him as an adult. The teacher has been kind of looking out for him quite a bit so he can make it pritty personal or fitting.
That eavening there is a party at the boy's house with both young and old, and the next day he will be eating with the adults and may find himself working with them depending on the need, season and if he is still in school. It has happened, but is very rare, that one has had to stay with the kids a tad longer because it was obvious that he wasn't ready after his 15 birthday.That is the age where it happens.
P.S Lucky you, you are one of thoes people who gets nicer looking with age! Loved the pics
Nel

Princess Warrior said...

Thanks for posting that poem. I needed that:)

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