Don’t Quit

Life can get pretty rough sometimes; it happens to the best of us, and we never know when we’ll get that knock. Lately, I’m hearing of misfortunes everywhere – whether it’s not getting clients, not receiving a reply for a job application, missing out on that dream job, facing an unexpected illness, or just encountering something random that swiftly pulls the rug from beneath your feet, leaving you on the ground, stumbling to get back up again.

Anyway, I was looking through very, very old scrapbooks, and during my teenage years, I wrote so, so many poems. I stumbled upon a book of them from the late 80s, a time when I was navigating the awkward teenage years, where even the smallest worries felt like the end of the world. As we grow up, we ride the rollercoaster of life, accumulating baggage along the way, peppered with life’s experiences.

But, there was this one poem I wrote on a night when my parents were going through a bit of a tough time. I penned it for my Dad in particular. Surprisingly, it ended up not only earning me an A in English but also getting published in a local newspaper. Today, I thought I’d share it with you, hoping it brings a bit of sunshine to your day.

“Don’t Quit” –

by 16-year-old Tracey Lee

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
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As everyone of us sometimes learns
And many a person turns about
When they might have won
Had they stuck it out
Don't give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown
Success is failure turned inside out
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things seem worst
That you mustn't quit.