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.
William Ernest Henley
I watched this move last night about Nelson Mandela and was so moved by his integrity and power of inspiration. The title of the movie is the same as the poem that he kept with him while imprisoned for all those years, and it struck such a strong chord within me when I read it. I hope you, too, find your own meaning to these words and a gentle reminder to be the captain of your soul.
I saw this movie last Friday and I too was impressed by Nelson's (yes we are old friends) integrity and power of inspiration. I have had this poem and another by Rudyard Kipling (IF) on the wall of my office for years. I get goose bumps every time I read it. I love the power of words.
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