The Will To Win

by Berton Braley

If you want a thing bad enough
To go out and fight for it,
Work day and night for it,
Give up your time and your peace and

your sleep for it

If only desire of it 

Makes you quite mad enough 

Never to tire of it, 

Makes you hold all other things tawdry 

and cheap for it

If life seems all empty and useless without it
And all that you scheme and you dream is about it, 



If gladly you'll sweat for it, 

Fret for it, Plan for it, 

Lose all your terror of God or man for it, 



If you'll simply go after that thing that you want. 

With all your capacity, 

Strength and sagacity, 

Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity, 



If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt, 

Nor sickness nor pain 

Of body or brain 

Can turn you away from the thing that you want, 



If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it,
You'll get it!