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defeat my defeat my solitude and my aloofness you are dearer to me than a thousand triumphs and sweeter to my heart and all world glory defeat my defeat my self-knowledge and my defiance through you i know that i am yet young and swift of foot and not to be trapped by withering laurels and in you i have found aloneness and the joy of being shunned and scorned defeat my defeat my shining sword and shield in your eyes i have read that to be enthroned is to be enslaved and to be understood is to be leveled down and to be grasped is but to reach one's fullness and like a ripe fruit to fall and be consumed defeat my defeat my bold companion you shall hear my songs and my cries and my silences and none but you shall speak to me of the beating of wings and urging of seas and of mountains that burn in the night and you alone shall climb my steep and rocky soul defeat my defeat my deathless courage you and i shall laugh together with the storm and together we shall dig graves for all that die in us and we shall stand in the sun with the will and we shall be dangerous tell me not in mournful numbers life is but an empty dream for the soul is dead that slumbers and things are not what they seem life is real life is earnest and the grave is not its goal thus thou art to dust returns was not spoken of the soul not enjoyment and not sorrow is our destined end of way but to act that each tomorrow finds us father then today art is long and time is fleeting and our hearts though stout and brave still like muffled drums are beating funeral marches to the grave in the world's broad field of battle in the lifehack of life be not like dumb driven cattle [Music] be a hero in the strife trust no future our pleasant let the dead past bury its dead act act in the living present heart within and god overhead lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime and departing leave behind us footprints on the sands of time footprints that perhaps another sailing or life's solemn mane a forlorn and shipwrecked brother seeing shall take heart again let us then be up and doing with a heart for any fate still achieving still pursuing learn to labor and learn to wait if you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too if 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 if you can dream and not make dreams your master if you can think and not make thoughts your aim if you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same if 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 them up with worn out tools if you could make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss and lose and start again .
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Comments (1)
Truly a brilliant one.