Poems To Comfort and Inspire You

When times are bleak and happiness, success and abundance seem to have deserted you and you are feeling under stress, why not give great poems the power to uplift and stimulate you.

You may think that although the poems are inspirational, what did the poets themselves know of suffering and hardship? Quite a lot as you will see from the notes I have made under some of the poems.

Read, enjoy and be encouraged.....

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

"Invictus" is Latin for "Unconquered". It was first published in 1875.
William was born in England in 1868. and became a poet, critic, and editor.

From the age of 12 he suffered from tuberculosis of the bone A few years later this resulted in him having to have his left leg amputated below the knee. Frequent illnesses often kept him away from school, and another amputation followed. He spent three years in hospital.

Afterwards he lived a fairly normal life for the next 30 years . His daughter, Margaret Emma was also sickly and died at the age of 5 and was immortalised in J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, and Robert Louis Stevenson based Long John Silver (Treasure Island) on William. He died at the age of 53.


The Quitter
When you're lost in the Wild, and you're scared as a child,
And Death looks you bang in the eye,
And you're sore as a boil, it's according to Hoyle
To cock your revolver and . . . die.
But the Code of a Man says: "Fight all you can,"
And self-dissolution is barred.
In hunger and woe, oh, it's easy to blow . . .
It's the hell-served-for-breakfast that's hard.

"You're sick of the game!" Well, now that's a shame.
You're young and you're brave and you're bright.
"You've had a raw deal!" I know — but don't squeal,
Buck up, do your damnedest, and fight.
It's the plugging away that will win you the day,
So don't be a piker, old pard!
Just draw on your grit, it's so easy to quit.
It's the keeping-your chin-up that's hard.

It's easy to cry that you're beaten — and die;
It's easy to crawfish and crawl;
But to fight and to fight when hope's out of sight —
Why that's the best game of them all!
And though you come out of each gruelling bout,
All broken and battered and scarred,
Just have one more try — it's dead easy to die,
It's the keeping-on-living that's hard.
Robert Service

Comfort
Say! You've struck a heap of trouble --
Bust in business, lost your wife;
No one cares a cent about you,
You don't care a cent for life;
Hard luck has of hope bereft you,
Health is failing, wish you'd die --
Why, you've still the sunshine left you
And the big, blue sky.

Sky so blue it makes you wonder
If it's heaven shining through;
Earth so smiling 'way out yonder,
Sun so bright it dazzles you;
Birds a-singing, flowers a-flinging
All their fragrance on the breeze;
Dancing shadows, green, still meadows --
Don't you mope, you've still got these.

These, and none can take them from you;
These, and none can weigh their worth.
What! you're tired and broke and beaten? --
Why, you're rich -- you've got the earth!
Yes, if you're a tramp in tatters,
While the blue sky bends above
You've got nearly all that matters --
You've got God, and God is love.
Robert Service

It Couldn’t be done
Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
on his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.
Edgar A. Guest

Never Go Gloomy
Never go gloomy, man with a mind,
Hope is a better companion than fear;
Providence, ever benignant and kind,
Gives with a smile what you take with a tear;
All will be right,
Look to the light.
Morning was ever the daughter of night;
All that was black will be all that is bright,
Cheerily, cheerily, then cheer up.

Many a foe is a friend in disguise,
Many a trouble a blessing most true,
Helping the heart to be happy and wise,
With love ever precious and joys ever new.
Stand in the van,
Strike like a man!
This is the bravest and cleverest plan;
Trusting in God while you do what you can.
Cheerily, cheerily, then cheer up.
Author Unknown

Don't Quit
(one the most classic motivational poems)
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.
Author unknown

Psalm Of Life
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;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than 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 bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,-- act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

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 o'er life's solemn main,
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 to wait.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Longfellow knew both sadness and suffering in his life. His first wife Mary died following a miscarriage and his second wife Frances (Fanny) died after been badly burned in a fire. Because of injuries Henry sustained in trying to save her he was unable to go to her funeral. He stopped shaving due to burns to his face and grew a beard, which was to become his trademark.

The Touch of the Master's Hand
It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it
Hardly worth his while
To waste his time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three",

But, No,
From the room far back a grey haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin
And tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet,
As sweet as the angel sings.
The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.
"One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered,
But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand."
"What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
All battered with bourbon and gin,
Is auctioned cheap to a thoughtless crowd
Much like that old violin.
A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.
But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Master's Hand.
Myra Brooks Welch

Myra was also known as "The poet with the singing soul." She came from a musical family and she loved to play the organ.
It was in 1921 that she wrote “The Touch of The Master’s Hand”, after listening to a speaker talking to a group of students. She said she became “filled with light” and wrote the poem in just 30 minutes.

At that time she thought it was a “Gift From God” which didn’t need her name given to it.
It was several years later when the poem, which had become a great favourite, was read out at a religious convention with ”author unknown” that a young man stood up and said "I know the author, and it's time the world did too. It was written by my mother, Myra Welch."

She wrote other beautiful poems rejoicing in God’s love and became a well know and loved poet but what the world didn’t see was that she herself was “battled and scarred” and confined to a wheelchair (for 20 years). She couldn’t perform musically any longer. Instead she let her talent speak through her poems.

Her hands were badly deformed from severe arthritis but she didn’t let that stop her or let herself become bitter, instead she would take two pencils, one in each of her poor hands, and, using the eraser ends, slowly and painfully type out the words which have brought so much pleasure and comfort to so many people.

If you've been inspired by these poems in your quest for success and abundance then Click Here! and Discover The Most Effective Way To Improve a Relationship, Overcome Stress, Get Out of Debt, Find Comfort, Eliminate Confusion, Leap Over Old Limitations, and Enjoy MORE Success And Abundance…In Under Fifteen Minutes!

10 Quick Tips To Help You Find Success and Abundance.....

* Decide what it really is that you want to achieve / overcome. Is it debt problems, relationship related, loneliness, stress or whatever your personal problem may be.

* You must have a goal to work towards, write it down on a card.

* Refer to this card often.

* Now break down your goal into small pieces, don’t attempt to overcome everything all at once.

* Work hard to achieve your goal by doing whatever you can, however small the task each day.

* Don’t waste valuable energy fretting about what you haven’t got right now.

* At the same time find time to be kind to others.

* Make a list of things to do daily.

* Prioritize this list, do the most important things first. This will get them out of the way and give you a great sense of achievement when you cross them off as having been done!

* Remember to ask a Higher Power for help through prayer.

To pursue your quest for abundance and success further, just Click Here! and Discover The Most Effective Way To Improve a Relationship, Overcome Stress, Get Out of Debt, Eliminate Confusion, Find Comfort, Leap Over Old Limitations, And Enjoy MORE Success And Abundance…In Under Fifteen Minutes!

Famous Quotes and Wise Sayings - A source of Abundance and Success

In confused times when you have doubts, disappointments and are fearful of the future it is helpful to know that there are “words of wisdom” out there which can be a great source of comfort and inspiration. They will literally help to encourage and motivate you and best of all you do not have to trawl through volumes and volumes of books to find them. Instead either visit your nearest library or sit at your computer and use the power of the Internet to seek out these wise sayings and famous quotes.

It has been said that a hour spent reading proverbs is worth years of normal reading. We tend to learn from our own mistakes which are often costly and soul destroying so doesn’t it make sense to learn from the wisdom of others?

Wise sayings and famous quotes can be compared to inspirational injections which all of us need on a regular basis. They come in many guises - quotes, proverbs and adages to name but a few, and often consist of a just a few words or maybe a short paragraph.

One thing they have in common is that they contain great knowledge which has been distilled right down and passed down through the generations.

It is a misconception that the messages they contain are ‘old hat’ and no longer relevant in our modern world. They have survived because they are relevant to each and every generation. They are also used/have been used by many famous people such as:

Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker: “People often tell me that motivation doesn't last, and I tell them bathing doesn't either, that's why I recommend it daily!”

Winston Churchill, statesman, orator, polititian, and UK prime minister - “Every man like myself who never went to college can largely make up for that lack by reading the wise sayings of the great men of the past who gladly left their wisdom in proverbs for us to follow”.

Alexander Graham Bell, eminent scientist and inventor of the first practical telephone - “Fire your ambitions and courage by studying the priceless advice in the proverbs and wise sayings. They’re the shortest road to wisdom you’ll ever find”.

Clifton Fadiman , intellectual, author, radio and TV personality - “ In this hectic age when most of us are unsure, confused and troubled, the surest authors, guides and advisors are the wise sayings of great men of the past”.

Thomas Carlyle, Scottish satirical writer, historian and teacher - “These wise sayings seem to have some strange power to discover our rich hidden talents, those hidden seeds of greatness that God implants in every one of us”.

Here is just a further small selection of quotes:-

Mother Theresa:

* Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home

* Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.

* God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.

* I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbour. Do you know your next door neighbour?

* If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Barack Obama:

* Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.

* Money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference.

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

* A man in debt is so far a slave.

* A man is what he thinks about all day long.

* Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.

* Always do what you are afraid to do.

* As a cure for worrying, work is better than whiskey.

* God enters by a private door into every individual.

* Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

* Life's most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?

* A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Winston Churchill:

* Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

* Difficulties mastered are opportunities won.

* It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.

* Never, never, never give up

I hope this short introduction to wise sayings will inspire you to seek out more of them in your quest for abundance and success. Here are just some of the places for you to start your search. Read through as many as possible and look for the ones which seam to ‘speak’ to you personally then take a few minutes to write them down in a note book. Refer to them often.

The Book of Proverbs:

The Bible is probably the best place to look for extracts and for some explanations and other sayings go to:-

www.biblestudy.org/bible-study-by-topic/proverbs/introduction.html

www.cb1.com/~john/Religion/proverbs.html

Wise sayings:

http://quotations.about.com/cs/inspirationquotes/a/Wisdom12.htm

WiseOldSayings.com

http://www.quotegarden.com/wise-words.html

To pursue your quest for abundance and success further, just Click Here! and Discover The Most Effective Way To Improve a Relationship, Combat Stress, Find Comfort, Eliminate Confusion, Leap Over Old Limitations, And Enjoy MORE Success And Abundance…In Under Fifteen Minutes!