Invictus

Hola mi gente,
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a man. Or rather, how we men need to come together to redefine masculinity in a way that we become allies in the struggle against patriarchy, misogyny, and rape culture. I feel that as a society we desperately need to change from a zero-sum, winner-takes-all culture to a collaborative, relational culture.

The following poem, Invictus (Latin for “unconquered”), was written by the English poet, William Ernest. Published in 1888, it is a poem about the indomitable spirit of humankind and has served as a comfort for great men throughout history, most notably Nelson Mandela during his 27-year incarceration at the Robben Island prison. Ironically, the poem was composed from while Henley was recovering from a leg amputation at an infirmary.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

* * *

Mt name is Eddie and I’m in recovery from civilization… 

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