The Proof Of Worth <br />Though victory's proof of the skill you possess, <br />Defeat is the proof of your grit; <br />A weakling can smile in his days of success, <br />But at trouble's first sign he will quit. <br />So the test of the heart and the test of your pluck <br />Isn't skies that are sunny and fair, <br />But how do you stand to the blow that is struck <br />And how do you battle despair? <br /> <br />A fool can seem wise when the pathway is clear <br />And it's easy to see the way out, <br />But the test of man's judgment is something to fear, <br />And what does he do when in doubt? <br />And the proof of his faith is the courage he shows <br />When sorrows lie deep in his breast; <br />It's the way that he suffers the griefs that he knows <br />That brings out his worst or his best. <br /> <br />The test of a man is how much he will bear <br />For a cause which he knows to be right, <br />How long will he stand in the depths of despair, <br />How much will he suffer and fight? <br />There are many to serve when the victory's near <br />And few are the hurts to be borne, <br />But it calls for a leader of courage to cheer <br />The men in a battle forlorn. <br /> <br />It's the way you hold out against odds that are great <br />That proves what your courage is worth, <br />It's the way that you stand to the bruises of fate <br />That shows up your stature and girth. <br />And victory's nothing but proof of your skill, <br />Veneered with a glory that's thin, <br />Unless it is proof of unfaltering will, <br />And unless you have suffered to win.<br /><br />Edgar Albert Guest<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-proof-of-worth-2/
