“If I Wrote "If—"”,
If you can dry the tear from your eye,
And, when met with challenges, spread your wings and fly,
If you can bear the curse of standing alone,
If you can stay independent of your phone,
If you can love for the purpose of loving,
If you can give and give and expect nothing,
If you can suppress disdain and rage,
And, when the betting table comes round, have nothing to wage,
If you can turn away a glass of Moët,
If you can stand the words of a young poet,
If you can hold back your judgement,
If you can reach in your wallet and always find something,
If you can meet with friend and foe,
And, with the same amount of respect, treat them both,
If you can see a man without the colour of his skin,
If you can remain free of misconduct and sin,
If you can resist crime and temptation,
If you can correct another’s indignation,
If you can only resign to the right authority,
Even if that means staying in the minority,
If you can withstand the greatest stress
And still emerge as the best of the best,
If you can never say “never”,
If you can remain loyal despite the weather,
If you can find time to express yourself in rhyme,
If you can see every red flag and negative sign,
If you can work endlessly without tiring,
Then you’ll be what the human race is desiring.