I read an interesting poem today, thought you all might enjoy it too.
Invictus By William Ernest Henley
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 bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this 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 punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
The author, William Ernest Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone when he was only 12 years of age and had a foot amputated. Despite his illness and disability, he managed to live an active life for over 30 years. This poem entitled Invictus, which means “unconquered” in Latin, was written from a hospital bed during a rough time. I have found that whatever life throws at us, it is us who allows ourselves to accept it and determine how we handle the outcome. We can play victim, blame others all we want or we can choose to move forward and not accept our circumstances. We are either the masters of our environment or the victims. You can be either the lock on or the key to your life.
Which one do you want to be?
