Done Without Trying

Success is a victory

In a game against failure

It cannot be won without the other

Yet it’s played in a cell

Disenchantment, the jailer

And one is the other one’s brother

Yet success fears failure 

More than failure fears either

Great pains to be taken in winning

And wise men who say:

“crime does not pay”

Praise failure as no less

Than attempts at success

No more than a step to beginning

Saying: “fortune favours the brave”

Nothing gained from remaining in hiding

A fool’s safe that dwells in a cave

Win or lose, the risk is abiding

And who’s to say they are lying?

Yet one can be done without trying.

Reviews

[Poetic Beauty]

Profound words and sayings in this piece. Success isn't always measured in how much stuff you acquire but in how much love you give and return. It can be measured in the peace of mind and the beautiful memories that surround you of loved ones and friends.

[r. f. jordan]

there is recurrently adept rhyme and structure throughout this piece. the subject matter is lofty in its ambition, and is attained regardless. to communicate on the importance of effort is one thing, to communicate through a poem of this meter and structure level is to communicate on the importance of effort through effort, that is something else entirely. that is noble purposeful poetry that does what it asks. good work.

[ScaryTrees]

this is very good indeed
i am impressed by the flow and meter
smooth
thank you

[emmajoy]

I read this intriguing post three times, twice aloud, wanting to find the heart of your words, but, somehow I'm not entirely sure you come down on either side of your own quotes. Failure is losing something others admire you for having, success is achieving what others admire but you might not want. ' .. Praise failure as no less ~ Than attempts at success
No more than a step to beginning .. ' Maybe being content is what success means, maybe failure comes in not realising it!

[Sweet_pale_cacophony]

You always give us these nuggets of brain teasers and it is so nice to have you back..at it again.Here you play with the age old theme of success and failure but you tackle it in a very interesting way.Indeed both are two sides of a coin.Sometimes many a writers glorify failure giving solace to some of us who become quite content with our small attempts.Success is such an abstract theory.What can ever be meausred or called as success and who would be truly successful... only the one who tries can define it and lay the rules for himself.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Very wise words I can relate to, Devons.
It is good to see you writing and as usual writing very well.
Welcome back ...

Chloe

[.]

both are needed in order to be relative..interesting stuff..and welcome back :)