{"seoTitle":"The Winner - A Short Poem on Pride and Surrender","seoDescription":"A short poem by Pemba Umoja about a man in the February sun whose victories propped up his ego and whose defeats washed them away, until only surrender was left.","keywords":"The Winner poem, poem about pride, poem about surrender, poem about ego, winter poem, contemplative poetry, Pemba Umoja poems","line1":"The winner was standing on the corner with the February sun warming his face.","line2":"","line3":"Plagued by a plethora of unwarranted victories.","line4":"","line5":"And some disastrous defeats.","line6":"","line7":"He took refuge only in surrendering to the divine warmth that cradled his aging face.","line8":"","line9":"What more could he do than surrender?  His victories only propped up his ego temporarily.  His defeats washed them away.","line10":"","line11":"There beneath the waning winter sun.","line12":"","line13":"His only hope was to release his pride into the curbside snow.","line14":"","line15":"And let it melt there with the rest of life’s debris."}