Measure of a man

It’s  easy to be brave and strong when luck is  on your side,
when things are  clear and straight and there’s no danger from the tide.
To be a figure of great strength and find a way on through
is easy when you really don’t have troubles hounding you.
But when you face a mountain climb with no summit in sight,
each step you take makes your heart break,still you go on and  fight.
One day you had a job, a future you could plan,
then with no warning- all was gone, your future down the pan.
The bills to pay, all mounting up, the mortgage overdue,
the car that needs a new gearbox all things you have  to do.
The family who looked to you to keep their life on track,
but now without a job in sight you’re falling off the track.
So take a training course that promises you’ll get a job,
but at the end of it you know in truth  that that was just a fob,
and just a way to keep you busy with words of empty hope
to keep you thinking  that in time you will find different  ways to cope.
Rejection comes at every turn, job after job recedes
Your self respect could disappear , your wretched heart just bleeds
The bills mount up, the bank decides it can’t extend you credit,
you think of theft to help you though but know that you’d regret it.
Instead you carry on, you try to keep your self respect,
and every day’s a struggle you keep trying to connect.
Until one day   you get the call that turns your life around..
A chance to get your future back , you feel on solid ground.
You start to feel you might be good to start where you began
Your dignity intact - yes that’s the true measure of a man!