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IF by Rudyard Kipling who lost his only son in the World War of 1914 to 1918

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, dont 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 'em up with worn out tools.

If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch and toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they have gone,
and so hold on when there is nothing in you, except the will will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes or loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run.
Yours is the earth and everything that's in it, And ... which is more ... You'll be a man, my son!

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Comment by John Payne on May 17, 2008 at 4:41pm: Andrew, I found out about 10 or 15 years ago that I was a "crystal" or "indigo" child. Perhaps born a little premature compared to most. You can look it up on the internet. It seems to me that because of "how" you see the world different, like myself, you are likely one too. There maybe more who could die on earth in this incarnation, than ever in earth's history. But understand the "insanity" is not you. The insanity is the ones who are too blind and deaf to "see" what is happening in the world, or do not care enough to "act" Do not care enough about there fellow man, and mankind. Understand that you are no longer alone in your thoughts, you have Tarek, myself and others now. Understand that you are a "child" of God and out of the madness "seek" God with all your desire and will. And once finding God there will be peace. John Payne

Comment by Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid on May 17, 2008 at 11:52am: I learn this poem in my high school and till now this is the best english poem i've ever read!..really nice and bring a lot of meaning to me...