Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Classic Worth Memorizing

"IF"
by Rudyard Kipling


you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
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;

you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
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 wornout tools;

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 breath a word about your loss;
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";

you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
all men count with you, but none too much;
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!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kevin Main said...

Very nice Bishop.....Peace and blessings!!!!

Anonymous said...

Henry Smith said...

Bishop, have you ever seen Gunga Din, film based on a Kipling poem? It's one of that amazing list of great films made in 1939.

Anonymous said...

Jeanette Bolt Smith said...

I love your blog Bish.....but....the new font? Not so much. Hard on the eyes. But I still love it. I'll endure the pain just for you! LOL

Anonymous said...

Ted Warner said...

nice work

Anonymous said...

Rhonda Perry said...

We had to memorize this in elementary school....Definitely one worth remembering.

Anonymous said...

Jeannie Glover said...

very nice!

Anonymous said...

Sandy Dorland said...

This and the Desiderata have gotten me through a lot of rough and tumble days.

Anonymous said...

Jeff Rust said...

Some of the things in there remind me of what pastors who speak unpopular truths must be going through.

Anonymous said...

Rowena Silvera said...

Love that poem!

Anonymous said...

Patti Cook said...

So this is what you do when relaxing...lol...Love the new look! Peace...

Anonymous said...

Henry Smith said...

‎@Sandy. I used to have the Desiderata on my wall during the 70's. My dad loved it and would quote from it along with his other favorite writers, Emerson, Eric Hoffer, and Lao Tsu, author of the Tao Te Ching. I asked him once why he only read philosophers and he said that he'd started reading late so he only read meat and potatoes, no side dishes.

Erik said...

Bishop, as I enjoy the lightning and thunder tonight, I read the blogs in order from most recent, so Wed 0427 before this one.

'If' is one of my foundational poems. 'Desiderata' comes in the same group as has been mentioned by others.

This poem was left for me by my natural father who died before I was born. He left books of poetry, philosophy and art, and his artwork. I found this poem in one of his books, tagged for me when I was very young.

I live this poem, and my favorite stanza is the last, '.. fill the unforgiving minute with 60 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!'

That has been my baseline.

I appreciate seeing this poem here. Always good to have a reminder when it seems the minute is not filled.

This is why you are my Pastor.

Love, Always.