As we went into lockdown, all of the blood rushed to my head and I decided to do something that I’d never normally have time for – I wrote out an anthology of poems for my father as a birthday present. I came across this poem when I was looking for suitable inclusions and then heard it on the BBC, so clearly great minds thought alike. It just seems like a good poem for right now so I thought I’d share it in the hope that it works for you too.
Don’t Quit by John Greenleaf Whittier
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
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 strange with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure comes about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow –
You may succeed with another blow.
Success if failure turned inside out –
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit –
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
I hope, if you run to challenges at the moment, you’ll take a moment and read this, don’t quit, ask for help, know that this too shall pass.
Keep safe.