This poem, written in the 19th century was one that my Dad often quoted and felt he related to. Not being a religious man, Dad believed each person is the controller of his own destiny, his own fate. Although I believe the Lord Jesus is the ultimate controller of all things, I understand how individuals have choices they make in all types of circumstances each day. In this way we steer our lives, our souls. This poem reflects the attitude of perseverance. My Dad suffered much uncertainty throughout his life, yet he continually chose to stand firm, not become a "victim", but to walk steady onward with a positive spirit. His walk lasted almost 99 years!
INVICTUS
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.
