Counter-Invictus

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