Substance

The victory is the proof of the skill you possess

Defeat is the proof of your grit,

A weakling can smile in the days of his success

But at trouble’s first sign he will quit.

So the test of the fear

And the test of your pluck

Is not skies that are sunny and fair

But how do you stand to the blow that is struck

And how do you battle despair?

The fool can seem wise when the pathway is clear

And it is easy to see the way out,

But the test of a man’s judgement is something to fear

And what does he do when in doubt?

And the proof of his faith is the courage he shows

When sorrows lie deep in his breast;

It’s the way that he suffers, the grief that he knows

That brings out his worst or his best.

The test of a man is how much he will bear

For a cause which he knows is right,

How long will he stand in the depths of despair,

How much will he suffer and fight?

There are many to serve when the victory is near

When few are the hurts to be borne,

But it calls for a leader of courage to cheer

The men in a battle forlorn.

It is the way that you hold out against the odds that are great

That prove what your courage is worth.

It is the way that you stand to the bruises of fate

That shows up your stature and girth.

And victory is nothing but proof of your skill,

Veneered with a glory that is thin,

Unless it is a proof of unfaltering will

And unless you have suffered to win.