WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL,
WHEN THE ROADS YOU ARE 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 IS YOU MUST, BUT DON’T YOU QUIT.

LIFE IS QUEER WITH ITS TWISTS AND TURNS,
AS EVERYONE OF US SOMETIMES LEARNS;
AND MANY A FELLOW TURNS ABOUT,
WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE WON HAD HE STUCK IT OUT;
DON’T GIVE UP WHEN THE PLACE SEEMS SLOW;
YOU MAY SUCEED WITH ANOTHER BLOW.

OFTEN THE GOAL IS NEARER THAN,
IT SEEMS TO A FAINT AND FALTERING MAN;
OFTEN THE STRUGGLER HAS GIVEN UP,
WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE CAPTURES THE VICTOR’S 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,
THE SILVER TINT OF THE CLOUDS OF DOUBT,
AND YOU NEVER CAN TELL HOW CLOSE YOU ARE,
IT MAY BE NEAR BUT IT SEEMS AFAR;
SO STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOU’RE HARDEST HIT,
IT’S WHEN THINGS SEEM WORST THAT YOU MUSTN’T QUIT