Dark Horse

I am a dark horse.
A matted, seasoned thoroughbred
With pedigree but no victories
I've run a lot of races but never won the prize.
I've chased the goal like my life depended on it.
But always fell short of the mark.

But it's alright to come in second.
It's alright to not be number one.
The reward is in the testing of my mettle.
The reward is in knowing
At the end of the day I had nothing left to give.

What is a loser? What is a winner?
Is it black and white?
Are there some qualities we don't give a name to
That are no less valid than winning and losing.

I am a dark horse.
I am often underestimated.
I know that fools will judge me
With words like 'loser' and 'failure.'
But I know that my true worth is not known.
I know that I am a dark horse and I still have a lot of races to run.