If you’re successful, your story you can tell
If you write a book, millions of copies it would likely sell
You would appear for book signings, guest lectures and television shows
You would be approached for turning your book into films or television shows
If you have a rags to riches story or one that describes
How you overcame extraordinary adversity to thrive
People would read your book for inspiration
You would be able to capture all their admiration
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As an avid reader, innumerable memoirs of winners I have read
While I’ve been inspired by such books, I want to read instead
Books by people who never tasted success
Those who found a way to live in the midst of distress
Those who worked hard for a cause, and lost in the end
To learn more about their struggles is my intent
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But memoirs are written by people who have acquired fame
Publishers rarely publish stories from those with no names
So unless the story is fictionalized, I never see
Stories of those who tried and failed miserably..
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Perhaps deep in our hearts, we all want to hear
Fairy-tale endings, stories of success uplifting appear
I must be weird because I want to read
Something that is unconventional indeed
But winners already have a voice by virtue of their success
Those who have failed should also be able to express
What they did, how they felt and where they are going
The story of someone not successful is also worth knowing
Passion...unbridled 