Don't Quit: Who is the Author?
By Michell DeRosia - 27 Sep 2011
In Reference to the Poem: DON’T QUIT
Dear Rose,
I just wanted to thank you for trying to dig up the facts on this poem, Don't Quit. I'm in the process of doing that very same thing. I'm not quite sure how to go about contacting people on the internet and letting them know that I know exactly who the author of the poem is, without sounding like a nut, because I, Michell DeRosia, wrote the poem.
I had no idea it had become such a huge part of so many peoples lives until recently when I came across it on the internet. Initially it was written by me to send in to a poetry contest which offered a bundle of cash, a party in New York to mingle with some of the greatest literary geniuses and a scholarship. Oh, how my family could benefit from that! I believe I wrote it in 1989 and mailed it in to the contest. I had hoped that when I sent it in that even if I didn't win the contest the poem would at least be put out into the world, my gift to mankind, and if it helped even just one person....what a joy that would be.
No, I'm not a nut and yes I am serious, I wrote the poem when I was going through a very dark time, I wrote it for me and I wrote it for the contest and to hopefully be put out as a gift to mankind and hopefully help at least one person. I'm seeing now that it's helped many, and what a humbling feeling it is.
The part I liked best about it is, Success is failure turned inside out. I was laying in bed wondering how I had become such a failure, horrible marriage, having to take care of three beautiful children when I had to rely on the welfare system because even working 60 hours a week, at minimum wage it still wasn't enough. Anyway, I asked myself, how can I turn this failure around? What is success? Ah, success is failure..........turned inside out! I thought that was brilliant and got up and found paper and pencil and wrote it down lol. The next day the rest of the poem started forming. Trudging up the hill is how I felt like what i was doing and always told myself like The Little Engine That Could "I think I can, I think I can, I know I can" make it up that hill; the silver clouds of doubt, my grandmother always told me that every cloud had a silver lining, so that had to be put in there; I was watching sailboat races on tv when I was writing it, so that's where the winners cup came from; and the golden crown....well, i had to put Jesus in there, even if it was in this form, the crown was a hidden tribute to Him.
Enough of my rambling on, I am going to keep on telling people the truth, that I wrote this poem. Thank you for taking the time to read this, it got to be quite lengthy and I apologize for that :)
Michell DeRosia
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