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 bludgeoning of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond the 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 punishment the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
13 comments:
Hi Idah, I faintly remember having read this poem before probably in school... can you jog up my memory cells into remembering who the poet was??
Sorry CM, by British poet William Ernest Henley.. i was going to type that.. but forgot.. ok, now everyone would know.. heheheh
its good, isn't it?
:D
Cool poem, my niece.... it makes me feel much stronger to face this unknown world it seems... sometimes... somehow....
ok, wait.. hang on.. who do i see in the distance but my aunt typing a comment, which by all of its meaning, she knows how to type a comment?!!! hahahha..
thank you Dee aka M.D.
now, i have to teach my cousin and my missing sista who stopped typing.. sheesh.. the things one has to do for family.. *faint* :D
It ain't just good!! its great!!!
"I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul."
How true!!
Ah! Beautiful poem!
Hey P, i hope you are feeling better.. i was in the mood of that poem.. i believe the age did something... :D
Hehe... Yes, am much better now! :-)
Hi ....... sis....... and lo and behold it is our aunt from Carolina leaving a comment for u???? hmmmmmmm...... Hi M.D. ....... how are you????
Newayz...... idah... really love the poem.... esp..... "I am the master of my Fate: I am the captain of my soul... how cool is tat????!!!!
take care sis..
Miss you and love you..
Hugs....... SEE YA SOON!!!!
Dear sis......
I shall answer you with an excerpt from Orson F.Whitney poetry
Thou, captain of thy soul! Forsooth,
Who gave that place to thee?
Free will is thine-free agency,
To wield for right or wrong;
But thou must answer unto Him
To whom all souls belong.
Bend to the dust that 'head unbowed, '
Small part of life's great whole,
And see in Him and Him alone,
The captain of thy soul.
Love you,
your sis ,dada
**P, okie, am glad you are better, will wait for your blog update.. hehehe
**dada aka sis..
i know.. and now we just have to wait what Dee has to say now.. heheheh
And yes, cool poem from Orson, isnt it? :D
SEE YOU SOON TOO!!!! HUGGIES! :D
Well,my beautiful nieces, glad to hear how trilled you guys are.... to see me write... since we are all sharing excellent life poems here... why not share this one with you... and this touch me deeply as you could only see... each day... there is still someone out there be it in Iraq.. or Afghan, someone here is still losing someone they love with each passing day.... It's not easy having someone you love serving so far away from home....
Bai, glad you finally found your lost keyboard... and see you have not forgotten to type...
Small Pain In My Chest
by Michael Mack
The soldier boy was sitting calmly underneath that tree.
As I approached it, I could see him beckoning to me.
The battle had been long and hard and lasted through the night
And scores of figures on the ground lay still by morning's light.
"I wonder if you'd help me, sir", he smiled as best he could.
"A sip of water on this morn would surely do me good.
We fought all day and fought all night with scarcely any rest -
A sip of water for I have a small pain in my chest."
As I looked at him, I could see the large stain on his shirt
All reddish-brown from his warm blood mixed in with Asian dirt.
"Not much", said he. "I count myself more lucky than the rest.
They're all gone while I just have a small pain in my chest."
"Must be fatigue", he weakly smiled. "I must be getting old.
I see the sun is shining bright and yet I'm feeling cold.
We climbed the hill, two hundred strong, but as we cleared the crest,
The night exploded and I felt this small pain in my chest."
"I looked around to get some aid - the only things I found
Were big, deep craters in the earth - bodies on the ground.
I kept on firing at them, sir. I tried to do my best,
But finally sat down with this small pain in my chest."
"I'm grateful, sir", he whispered, as I handed my canteen
And smiled a smile that was, I think, the brightest that I've seen.
"Seems silly that a man my size so full of vim and zest,
Could find himself defeated by a small pain in his chest."
"What would my wife be thinking of her man so strong and grown,
If she could see me sitting here, too weak to stand alone?
Could my mother have imagined, as she held me to her breast,
That I'd be sitting HERE one day with this pain in my chest?"
"Can it be getting dark so soon?" He winced up at the sun.
"It's growing dim and I thought that the day had just begun.
I think, before I travel on, I'll get a little rest ..........
And, quietly, the boy died from that small pain in his chest.
I don't recall what happened then. I think I must have cried;
I put my arms around him and I pulled him to my side
And, as I held him to me, I could feel our wounds were pressed
The large one in my heart against the small one in his chest.
Dear M.D....... my aunt.....
yes...... evidently I have not lost touch of my keyboard and my amazing typing skill...... hehehe.... and I can see tat you have not lost your witty sense of humour either..... hahahaha........
Anywayz my gorgeous Aunt I shall leave you with this beautiful poem ... take care and loadsa hugs.......
Here In The Middle Of My Life
© By Millie Finley
Here in the middle of my life
I look back on joy and strife,
I wonder where the path now leads,
Here in the middle of my life.
There is much I have yet to do,
There is much I have yet to see,
Will God grant me precious time,
Here in the middle of my life?
I've loved and I've lost
I've loved and I've won,
Life has been full to now,
The years that are left
Are precious to me
I pray I will use them well.
Here in the middle of my life,
I am wiser than I used to be.
Serene as a peaceful dove
No time for hate, just love.
Now in the middle of my life,
I will live and love totally,
If I meet you along life's way
We will live fully every day.
Here in the middle of my life
I stop to see moments of time,
Like mountains left to climb,
How many left for me?
Here in the middle of my life.
Your niece,
Bai...aka Zubaidah....
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