Advice to my children

The Ship That Sails

by Anonymous
I'd rather be the ship that sails
— And rides the billows wild and free;
Than to be the ship that always fails
— To leave its port and go to sea.

I'd rather feel the sting of strife,
— Where gales are born and tempests roar;
Than to settle down to useless life
— And rot in dry dock on the shore.