I read about this in Teddy Atlas' autobio, he only mentions the last few lines: You can never tell how close you are It may be near when it seems afar So stick to the fight when youre hardest hit Its when things go wrong that you must not quit! Does anyone know how the full poem goes?
It's pretty simple to Google search it. Here's the integral poem. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest! if you must; but don’t you quit. Life is ***** with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out; Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow; You might succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man, Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor’s cup. And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out; The silver tint of the clouds of doubt; And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit; It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit
Never heard of this. Thanks for posting. In looking around, it looks like Cus didn't write it, but liked to give a copy of it to his fighters. It looks like it was written by a Michigan poet named Edgar Guest: http://www.all-creatures.org/discuss/dontquit-10120810-k.html
Damn, that **** goes deep. I always liked Cus. I think that he's the greatest trainer of all time in Boxing.
