An imitative, improvised response to William Ernest Henley (1849–1903) and his ultra-famous poem, "Invictus":
Counter-Invictus
Out of the day that covers me,
Gray as the gray of dull wool,
I thank what gods may hang around
For reminding me I'm a fool.
When things have gone real wrong,
I've reacted well, badly, or okay,
Sometimes up to the challenge, sometimes
Not: the usual human way.
Beyond this sphere of our mortality
Lies who knows what for sure?
Hell, yes, I'm afraid to die--
To go from here to were.
To say you are the captain of your
Fate is bluster and delusion.
Accidents happen all the time,
And captains experience confusion.
If there's such a thing as fate,
Then it's the Admiral,
And we're just lowly deckhands:
How much can we control?
Copyright 2011 Hans Ostrom
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