Hello,
I work with incarcerated youth, and many of them are trying to stay strong and not lose themselves. My favorite poem is “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley. Even though it’s an old poem, I think the message is relevant to the population I work with. The author wrote it while he was sick and going through hard times, but he never gave up. The poem speaks about resilience and inner strength, even when life feels hopeless or you feel trapped, our spirit can still be free.
“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.
Prompt: Can you think of a time when life felt hard, but you still kept going or refused to give up? What helped you stay strong?
