My Interpretation of If By Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep calm when all around you,
Are frustrated, and angry with you,
Always believe in yourself, and be true,
Don’t be too proud, be positive with others too,
All good things come to those who wait,
Don’t ever listen to lies, that’s a fact,
Try to avoid being hated, don’t ever hate,
Do not show off, and from yourself distract.
Dream, but do not let dreams absorb you,
Put all to thought, and exercise this through,
If you succeed, become befallen too,
And meet these dire opposites at their game,
Stand up to truths that you believe in,
They know not what they speak, they only shame,
So jealous of your hard earnings, a twin to sin,
They try to mimic, to no avail, they do not gain.
Put all you have achieved to one side,
Knowing who you are, believe in do or die,
You might lose, begin again, with it abide,
Tell no one of any loss, reach for the sky,
If you can use your strength, and soul,
To carry on, as grace helps you to become whole,
And try everything within, to reach your goal,
Tell them I’ll carry on, not dig myself a hole.
If you speak with others, to thy self be true,
Be proud, never lose sight of who you are,
If friend or foes have no ability to scar,
If they agree with what you say, but not with all,
Be forgiving, don’t think you're better, and then fall,
If all you say is sound within sixty seconds,
You have achieved your worth, which always beckons,
And - indeed more - you’ll be a man my son!
POTW - 8/12/2022
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