The Dangerous neighborhood strikes again

Did I say there were two used book stores within a few blocks of my work? There are THREE! I found another one today while I was out walking. I thought I would just walk on by, maybe take a peek inside, but keep on going…

But NNNOOOOOOOOOOO! They had to put a cart of books outside the front door! And they just HAD to put up  sign saying they’re all $1 each! And they just HAD to have the collected poems of Rudyard Kipling as the first book I laid eyes on! Dastards!

On the bright side I escape having bought only that one book. For a buck. I’ll call it a draw.
Seriously, though, this is Kipling! For a buck! Just one poem is worth that, easily! And speaking of which, I’m sure the copyright has expired on this one, so…

If–

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowances for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master;
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

–Rudyard Kipling