You will find courage before a stone bears your name,
in spite of the shadows that haunt your light.
You will find strength before the flag must be raised,
and it will be raised as a salute not a surrender.
The end is but a goal to reach
for when you get there you will be whole.
The dirt on your knees is the proof you have failed,
and failure is the proof that you tried.
Scars must be earned like a living wage
and there are no handouts when it comes to survival.
But you are not lazy, entitled, and unmotivated;
you are afraid.
Fear is your greatest adversary,
for once you defeat fear
you become unfazed by the awoken world…
let them come.
As the markings are written in neat writing
for you on a headstone or a plaque
will you have fought your fears and died proudly
to be worthy of eternal remembrance,
or will you have cowered in the bower
hiding in shadow for the challenges to pass?
Life is a sky full of weather…
but if you welcome the warmth of the sunshine,
then how dare you avoid the darkest storms
and expect all weather to pass over your grave
as if you had been there all along.
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