NaPoWriMo 2026, Day 17 prompt: Write a poem in which you respond to a favorite poem by another poet. I chose “If” by Rudyard Kipling. I did not paste that poem here, but HERE is the link.

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When I am a human man and I question,
doubt others, and also myself,
when I move on and forgive the lies
with a smile and a wink,
but I will trust never again.

Then I have lived past my thoughts and felt
an imposter, when my song survives
as I suffer fools, then I’ll find
just the right tools.

When, win or lose, I become all
that I can be and I learn from the past
and question the future. Then, maybe.

When I write the poem that defines me,
when I walk away from fools and pain,
when I see Earth as humanity’s home,
then, Rudyard, I am the man I am.

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Look both ways. Mind the gaps. Take what you like and leave the rest.