The Start Poem by Joseph Cimanuka

The start will always come, mediocrely;
Voices in your back will whisper dismay,
Trying to make you feel black, to bring you down.
Every voice will rise, a word to say,
Tallying fails, a ledger of the past,
To make your ambitions dark, to make you doubt at last,
And let you believe in nothing, nought.

But when the éclat comes, the moment of pride,
Friends will gather 'round, a congratulatory tide,
In lion's roar, they'll celebrate with glee,
Making you believe in them, in their feigned sincerity,
Yet, all the while, they're eyeing your success, waiting to take a piece.

Guts, guts! Have courage, don't give in!
The start may be humble, but determination wins.
It rewards the brave, the bold, the strong,
Bigly rewards those who push on, all day long.