The Race
Author unknown - selected by Yvonne F. Brown

Quit, give up, defeat, they shout out and plead,
There's just too much to get you now, this time you can't succeed
But as I start to hang my head in front of failure's face
My downward fall is broken by the memory of a race
That helps rebuild my weakened will as I recall the scene
For just the thought of that race rejuvenates my being

A children's race, young men young boys, Oh I remember it well
Excitement, yes, but also fear it wasn't hard to tell
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race
Or tie for first or if not that, at least take second place
As fathers watched along the side each cheering for his son
So each boy hoped to show his dad that HE would be the one

The whistle blew and off they went, young hearts and hopes afire
To win, to be the hero here was each young boy's desire
And one boy in particular, his dad was in the crowd
Was running near the lead and thought, "my dad will be so proud"

But as he speeded down the field, across a shallow dip
The little boy who thought to win lost his step and slipped
Trying hard to catch himself his hands flew out to brace
Amidst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face

So down he fell and with him hope, he couldn't win it now
Embarrassed, sad, he only wished he could disappear somehow
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said "Get Up and Win that race"

He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that's all
And ran with all his might and his mind to make up for his fall
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win
His mind went faster than his legs; he slipped, and fell again

He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace
"I'm hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn't try to race"
But in the laughing crowd he searched and found his father's face,
That steady look that said again; "Get up and win that race"

So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last
"If I'm going to regain those yards" he thought "I've got to run real fast"
Exerting everything he had he regained eight or ten
But trying so hard to catch the lead, he slipped, and fell again

Defeat! He lay there silently, a tear dropped from his eye,
There's no sense running anymore
Three strikes, I'm out, why try?
The will to rise had disappeared all hope had fled away,
So far behind, so error prone, a loser all the way

"I've lost, so what's the use" he thought, "I'll live with my disgrace"
But then he thought about his dad who soon he'd have to face
"Get Up! An echo sounded low; Get up and take your place
You were not meant for failure here, Get Up and win that race"

With borrowed will, "Get Up!" It said, "you haven't lost it all
For winning is no more than this, to Rise each time you fall."
So up he rose to run once more, and with a new commit
He resolved that win or lose; at least he wouldn't quit

So far behind the others now, the most he'd ever been
Still he gave it all he had and ran as though to win
Three times he'd fallen stumbling, three times he'd rose again
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end

They cheered the winning runner as he crossed the line first place
Head high and proud and happy, no falling, no disgrace
But when the fallen youngster crossed the line last place
The crowd gave him the greater cheer for finishing the race

And even though he came in last with head bowed low unproud
You would have thought he won the race to listen to the crowd
And to his dad he sadly said; "I didn't do so well"
"To me you won" his father said, "you rose each time you fell"

And you know, when things get dark and dreary and difficult to face
The memory of that little boy helps me in my race
'Cause all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and falls
And all we've got to do to win, is rise each time we fall

Quit, Give up, Defeat, they still shout in my face
But another voice within me says, "Get Up and Win that Race!"