Invictus
Invictus
William Earnest Henley
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.
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.
Above was my inspiration
For a beatdown to remember
All things began before the sun
Round we greeted each PAX member.
The Q was YHC this day
Core principles, Mission statement,
After my failed attempt to say
Warm-o-rama on hard pavement.
Fifty side straddle hops we did
In cadence with calves wearing thin.
One PAX said,” What’s wrong with this kid?”
Complaints already rolling in.
Little they knew the things to come
Were going to be less pleasant
More painful, soul crushing, and glum
The gift to be for those present
From the block pile coupons in hand
A mosey to the parking lot.
The dread ahead from where we stand
Bears burpee records to be bought.
A poetic recitation
Of Invictus broken apart.
To be learned upon completion
The real fun begins – now we start!
Simple, NOT easy, were the rules
For this, the PAX I’m sure attest
In their wake of sweat filled pools
They all stepped up and gave their best.
Or should I say they crawled like bears
While pushing square stones of concrete
Two parking spaces were their shares
A break before each burpee beat
Ten spaces the length in total
A share of burpees at each pause
Round one, Fifty burpees, That’s ALL?
Much more needed to fill the cause.
Then twice the number round two begged
With bonus burpees in between.
Two hundred burpees now were pegged
Time enough for more to be seen.
The journey’s last leg brought some more
One hundred to round things about.
Three hundred total we each bore
Return the stones, bodies give out.
Some were religious about form.
Some modified as the need be.
All PAX shared their feelings so warm,
About this Q’s insanity.
Boomarang said his memory crashed.
Crash mastered all but goofed at one.
Goofy’s three ten of something smashed
While SubFloor improvised his own.
Van Gogh blazed a trail to admire.
Muggsy survived his second post.
Sea Man, Sixty Minutes, Schneider
Ran away to avoid the roast.
YHC aimed at three hundred
He came up sharp, ten more burpees.
Circled in trust a prayer he said
Muggsy’s kid, Safe Spartan journeys
Grateful for the records we set
But more for what it means to serve
and run with HIMs I am beset
A gift much more than I deserve.