And you'll see as you rise up from the dust and mud
The grin on his face - before that throbbing THUD
of fist on face pushes you down, down again
into the rain puddling your gasping face of pain
And you ask, Why? And the world says, why not?
For this is the way the world was made to be
'tis not in flowers and poetry of leaf and tree
nor in soft words or soothing caresses be - no. The Plot
of life, is written, in letters cold and hard as rock,
and many a time silver in hand turns to arid dust
and many a time life's bread just a ragged crust
consumed in sorrow as a life we wanted not...
Yet in spite of that I have this, to say:
rise up, reach out, and seize the day!
'tis not in trembling that brave deeds get done,
'tis not in flinching that great games are won!
From out bones spring life, through defeat we conquer strife
And if we see travails in becoming husband and wife,
Remember that victory after defeat is the meaning of life.