Failure

 Failure (by Henry Dike)

A friend to nobody,
A desire of no person breathing,
Yet everyone has shared in your lesson
Of life; daily lesson, different for every person. 

Like a stern teacher you teach,
Consuming pints of blood like a witch,
Like an assassin you execute your preys
As an incurable cancer you eat through without fray.

I challenge the dead and the living
Who has not had an encounter with failure sting?
Speak up now and forever openly acclaim yourself a liar
In your heart and in your cold tomb which you will retire.

Failure has sent many to early graves
Failure has changed many names to ‘Failure’
Failure has changed fleshy hearts to stony hearts
Failure has even made 'angels' be fiendish demon's carts.

But failure has made boys, men and women, tougher,
Failure is like a four-wheel drive on plains that are rougher,
Failure has created never imagined paths in virgin savannahs;
Failure made many conquerors, riding with kingly banners.

So, what's your story? Are you failing? Have you failed?
Remain strong, for on that fall you're never really nailed;
Rise with that precious experience and move steadily, reborn;
Learn what that bitter fall has taught you and don’t be stubborn.

Ignore the compelling rope calling on to you to end it,
Disregard the bridge that beckons on you to sail into the pit,
Snub the deep water asking for a swim of no return nor gain,
Don’t end it; don't pull the trigger or severe that delicate vein.

Failure has always been there, right from the very beginning,
When ignorant Lucifer proudly thought he would wind up winning,
You may fail again and again here, but ‘hammer’ and 'blow' there;
Ask around, everyone has had a share of its generosity everywhere.

Just smile at failure, look upon it as a crucial opportunity handed to you,
To begin that endeavour, that challenge anew, yet, more intelligently
Change your costume to that of those who succeeded:
Pray, then, play the games of life with renewed vigour and not cowardly.

Henry Dike
(HP-Dyke Educational Consult)