Risks

I found this poem in a sketch book of Bevan’s, in his own hand writing, with a few changes and fixed words. I don’t know if he wrote it or not but I thought it was good.

Risks
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep it to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach out for another is to risk involvement.
To expose feelings is to risk exploring your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd it to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying’
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risk must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love or live.
Chained by his certitudes, he is a slave, he has fortified freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.