Invictus

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.

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.

- William Ernest Henley

When I was a little girl my Grandfather used to recite this poem to me before bed. I had no idea what it meant, at the time, I just loved how the melody of the words sounded. Throughout the years the poem has stayed with me, imbedded in my brain. It has taken on new meaning every time I revisit it - always relevant though.

I came across this necklace on Uncommon goods and had to share. This is the best gift I've seen in a while for graduates, or people facing great changes in their lives - truly inspiring!