Though victory's proof of the skill you possess,
Defeat is the proof of your gift,
A sealing can smile on his days of success,
But a trouble's first sign he will quit.
So the test of your heart and the test of your pluck
Isn't skies that are sunny and fair,
But how do you stand to the blow that is struck
And how do you battle despair.
A fool can seem wise when the path way is clear
And it's easy to see the way out,
But the truth of man's judgements is something to fear,
And what words does he use when in doubts?
And the proof to his faith is the courage he shows
When sorrows lie deep in his breast;
It's the way that he aches the grief that he knows
That brings out his worst or his best .
The test of man is how much he will bear
For a cause which he knows to be virtuous,
How long will he stand in the depths of despair,
How long will he suffer and fight?
There are many to survey when victory's near
And few are the hurts to be borne,
But it calls for a leader of courage to cheer
The man in the battle forlom.
It's the way you hold out against the odds that are great
That proves what your courage is worth,
It's the way you stand through the scars of fate
That shows up your structure and girth.
And victory is nothing but a proof of your skill,
Veneered with glory that's thin.
Unless it is proof of unfaltering will,
And unless you have struggled to win.
The proof of possession.
