I'm starting my own army.
If your heart is beating,
you are fit for duty.
Valor is much more common
than the historians
would have us believe.
Battlefield courage
is only the most obvious kind.
That's why it's called "uncommon valor."
But there is a valor
that is part of living;
a valor that goes unrecognized;
a valor in simply being human,
from day-to-day
and moment-to-moment.
To live
and to go on living
in direct defiance
of all the bombs and booby-traps
life assails us with.
Even our entrance into this world
is met with violence,
a smack and a cry.
"Welcome to the world, kid,
and get used to it.
It won't be the last time."
And yet we go on,
even as children.
We steel our young hearts
against the thousand and one
frights and shocks of childhood
only to arrive at adolescence
and the swirling hurricane of emotion
that traverses its length.
Until finally we are adults
and must make our way into the world,
choose a direction
and follow it with ant-like obedience.
Only the fortunate and blessed
are allowed to do what they love.
Most do what they must
while planning to do something else,
someday.
The most torn and bitter wars
do not occur on land.
The most fearful battlefields
are unseen.
So I'm starting my own army
because we should all be decorated.
All of us.
We are all warriors
for the heartbreaks we make it through;
For the cancers we survive;
For the grief we live with
that never really leaves us,
for those we have lost to this world
who weren't strong or lucky enough
to survive with us;
For the daily fear of the predators
who live among us;
For the betrayal of false friends;
For maintaining our sanity
amid endless acts of madness;
For the will to rise every morning,
prepare ourselves anew once more
and forge ahead
despite the dangers that surround us,
poised to attack like jungle cats;
For the gradual loss to time
of those we love most;
For what time takes away from us,
a little more each day,
the gradual ebbing of youth,
and the grace and courage necessary
to let it go.
To survive all this, every day . . .
This is valor.
Author notes
The photo above the poem is a postcard I found in Greece. What a face, eh? Now that's someone who has survived a few things. The thing that fascinated me about the photo is one side of the woman's face shows great kindness and the other great sadness.
I've been around a little while now and have survived a few things myself. Cancer, losing my brother about five years ago, my grandmother just last week, and the usual heartbreaks, disappointments and struggles that are part of living. As Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote, "No one makes it through this life unscathed."
I don't isolate one tragedy or another in this poem. It's really a celebration of the spirit that gives us the strength to survive somehow when we feel like our heart has been torn out; strength we may not have even known we had until we needed it.
I hope this gives some hope to someone who needs it. You're stronger than you know.
Peace,
Mark
Written December 20th, 2003
In a list
A contest entry
- Rising Above {Collaboration with PeaceChain} by -Aquarius-.
1000 points, ended September 14, 2004, 36 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 28 of 28
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Yes, I love that photo. It's actually a Greek postcard I picked up back in 1990. What a sweet face, huh? It reflects the mixture of pain and joy that we all feel in life.
Thanks for your thoughts on this poem. I appreciate it, as always.
Mark -
I forgotte..i loved the picture ..what a face? you can write books about it..and as you said it is like half face warm and happy..the other half very sad..that means really a lot..struggles in her life from many sources and hapiness in the other side meaning.."i want be happy, i got good heart"..
it is an amazing picture that stay in the back of your mind..isn'it it? -
Mark,this is very optimistic write..i really enjoyed reading it and this can actually apply to any human beeing..we all had some very sad moments in our lives,lost someone dear to us or watching them getting sick and you can't do anything to help out..but give them a courage and to yourself courage..
Mark,i really enjoy the way you looked at it..the way you look at things with great optimism which most of us don't have..
the whole poem is awesome..what can i say..? but this part just stopped me for a min:
Even our entrance into this world
is met with violence,
a smack and a cry.
"Welcome to the world, kid,
and get used to it.
It won't be the last time."
i like the thought of it which is very true..lol..
have nice day and hope to talk to you soon again..
ypl -
Hi Katie,
I somehow missed your wonderful response to this poem. Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you liked this poem. It's one of my favorite "message" poems because it's something I need to remind myself of all the time.
Happy New Year! I hope all your dreams come true in 2005.
Mark
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Hi Sara,
Thanks for reading so many of my poems last night. I'm glad you finally found this one! lol I'm glad there was something in it for you. We tend to forget how much strength and courage is necessary just to live in this world - just another of the many ways we don't give ourselves enough credit. But as Gibran wrote, "The deeper sorrow carves into your soul, the more joy it can contain." Those who have suffered the most know how to enjoy life the most. After all, what does someone who has never suffered have to compare happiness to?
Love you,
Uncle Mark -
Wow, I sure can see myself in this! This is wonderful, yet it sad that such tragedies exist that one must go through in life, yet we do and we get through it, losing yet gaining a part of one's self we never thought we ever would. I love this poem, I'm bookmarking this. Thank you for telling me about this piece, I am so glad you did, I enjoyed reading this...
Love you!
Sara
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Very interestingly done. More of an overview of many things instead of just one, right? I like that. Convers many things, making it easier for many to relate. Life can be tough but still we must trudge on. It'll be worth it. The basic message I'm getting. And a wonderful message at that. Thanks for your entry and good luck in the contest, Mark.
Crystal -
I can't get into it I will have to book mark it and read it again. I don't know why, maybe because I have read so many lol good luck in the contest I will book mark and read later.
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This should be given as a speech before masses of people. Perhaps you do not do this, but you have the brilliance and creative heart of leader or mentor.
I do not know what you "do" but I hope those near you realize what a gift you are.
For every word or phrase you give to the world
greater is love
peace
empathy
hope
healing
Valor
Let my words stem from the same place as yours, brother.
Katie
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Bravo!
Excellent. By the time I reached "We are all warriors" a bubble of mixed emotions had risen to my throat. I agree with you, life is hard, and we must be gentle to ourselves and others in the face of all this pain. Thank you for sending me here.
-
no thats not sadness on the other side of her face just a little extra droopiness lol. Sorry couldn't help myself but on the serious side you did an excelent job on this poem and the way you described what valor is, is absolutly beautiful and very true.
Lena
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I think you do such magnificent work. I can vision the images in my head from what you write. It is astounding. Thank you for sharing your talent with me...hugs
Tracy
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fantastic write Mark....you have indeed had your share of lifes kicks in the teeth...it isn't easy to get through what you have and survive with that valour...but you have...and as look at you now.....your heart shines like a beacon and your poetry inspires...i never get tired of reading your work...hugs...leanne xxx
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I'm in that army you write of!!
And, I must say..that I enjoy being
a 'soldier' of this army. I have my battle
wounds, my scars... physical and emotional.
I am proud to be a 'soldier', it has made me
stronger...
"Survival of the fittest", they say..
well pfftt to those who think they're
mighty.. they couldn't last as I, and
others have. It takes a strong person
to SURVIVE! I too, have dealt with a bit
of Cancer, the death of many I held dear,
the loss of a child.. not through death, but still
a loss.. and the many many torturous years
of abuse and love gone bad.
And.. after all is done.. I still sit here to write
this comment, and to read yet another day.
I have and will...always Survive.
Awesome write, Mark... I really don't think
any 'truer' words could have been written.
I thank you for this write.. it's made me see
that all I've done and been through in this life,
really has paid off... look at all the medals I've
gotten!
You're writing is beautiful, and always seems
to hit my heart and mind in just the right places.
Keep on writing..
~Aimee
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Great!
This was cool. I have always thought of people who fight anything and win as warriors. I remember reading a story about a women who had a tumor in her brain, they called it "The Monster". Hving surgery was her moment when she went to battle. Unfortunatly she lost to the monster. But, the story goes on to describe what a great battle she put up. Enough of my blabbing and back to the poem. This was spectacular! I like how you gave examples of battles that are won everyday. Awsome write. Bravo. -
A wonderful and true well written work on life as it is- yes, the one's who can do what they like are very rich- I know it- not being rich of money but which is worth more of children and still the time to write only- blessed with a husband who cares for us- we very often should think about where to find the richness in our lifes- we all are somehow- all it needs is to find it- and this is the hardest...A Merry Christmas and thank you for a wonderful poem!
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I love this. It is so true that many of us don’t give our own selves the credit we deserve. Yet we let the everyday struggles wear us down. The idea of gathering an army or survivors it awe inspiring.
To survive all this, every day.
This is valor
I particularly love the ending, it resonates strongly like a mantra for us all.Excellent and uplifting work, Well done.
-jane -
Hi Mark,
Yet another beauty. I'll join THAT kind of army! I never heard the quote from Kahlil Gibran that you wrote above, but it is true without polar opposites, how would we even know what anything is? Without sorrow, we wouldn't know that joy was something to treasure and strive for. I, too, as you know, am a survivor, some do have to survive more than others, but it is all relative. I know a person who thinks that because they have endured a loss, theirs is the worst suffering that can possibly be, and entitles them to bad behavior and endless sympathy. Yet I know others, enduring the same sort of loss, also suffering and in pain, who are courageous enough to view their suffering as an opportunity for growth and a way to transcend their previous way of living and viewing life, to attain a higher place for themselves. It's all in the perspective, I guess. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself here on this poetry site. It's truly quite amazing.
~Kerry -
Hi Sharon,
I am fairly new to this site myself but the group for survivors sounds like a great idea. I think it's always helpful to talk with other people who have survived similar experiences. The worst part about grief or illness or heartbreak is feeling that we're alone in our pain, especially when that is so untrue. I'll ask some of my veteran friends here about how we can get the group started.
Thanks for letting me know that this "ignited a spark" in you. That is an awesome compliment and it means the world to me. And in case I haven't said it, congratulations on being a survivor yourself. I hope the recent happiness you mentioned outweighed the sadness. Then again, as the ancient law of Yin and Yang teaches, without pain, how could we appreciate happiness?
I think Kahlil Gibran said it well in The Prophet - "The deeper sorrow carves into your soul, the more joy it can contain."
Wishing you peace,
Mark -
You are right about the woman's face in the photo, I covered one side then the othe,r and it displays happiness, and sadness, and I do believe my face shows the same, for I have experienced them both in a short span of time.
Thank you for this message of survival and hope. Valor is indeed the greatest weapon we have in the batfield of survival. You metioned so many points of true measure in this poem that I cannot chose one without the other. This is a message of inspiration. I feel this very way about all the entries in this contest. WE are all Survivors, who stand against the odds and keep marching forward.
YOU have ignited a spark in me. This website has "groups". I think we should start a "Group For Survivors". If you know how to go about starting such a group please let me know. I have only been on this site for over a month, almost two months, and I have very little knowledge of how that works. I would like to invite all who posted their stories here to be part of that group. Please let me know the process of opening that door for these survivors.
Thank you so much for entering this contest with such a helpful writing of prose. Again I say, YOU are a SURVIVOR. God Bless You.
Sharon
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Hi Becky,
Thanks for sharing that story about your mother and for confirming so eloquently what I was trying to say in this poem. A mother's love is the purest and strongest kind of love there is, isn't it? What an amazing woman she must be.
It sounds like you have survived more than your share as well. I hope you and your siblings are wearing only the finest silk now. You deserve it.
Merry Christmas!
Mark -
Hi Tahutihotep,
Thanks for your comments and for your military service. Your praise is especially meaningful to me, coming as it does from a soldier who has known both kinds of courage. Or as you put it -
"I think many of my most challenging experiences, that took the most courage, were things that had nothing to do with honor or country."
I'm so glad I posted this poem so I could read your response. I won't forget it.
Thank you,
Mark -
Hi Mari,
I'm glad you liked this one.
I think a lot of poems are depressing because most people, including me, write when they're depressed as a way of venting. But like you, I think it's important to celebrate what is right, too. A poem that just rants but doesn't solve anything is like a bad thought, but worse, because it's a permanent record, our own customized mantra. And as the old saying goes, "Be careful what you think for your thoughts become words, your words become actions, your actions become character, and character determines your destiny."
By the way, I know I'm "preaching to the choir" here. I say this only because I already know you are an advanced soul and will understand.
I hope all is well with you in beautiful Belgium. I'd sure love to see it again.
Take care,
Mark -
Dear Cherylline,
Thank you so much for your kind words. And you're right, I do try to reach out to people because there have been times in my life when I read a poem or heard a song that seemed to be written just for me and it didn't matter that a bunch of other people had read or heard it. It was MY poem or MY song. And it washed away my loneliness and soothed my despair. That's why I write, to know that I did something like that for someone; some friend I haven't met. It's one of the greatest feelings there is. Second only to love.
Happy Holidays!
Mark -
Excellent work, Mark, words that can inspire all of us no matter what the trauma - We have more courage than we realize, I do believe that, and I also believe that most acts of courage go unnoticed. We have all had to call upon our strengths and resolve to survive the bumps in our road, but its not often that we realize what we had to do to survive. We just do it.. I remember my mother using old sheets to make our clothes when I was very young because she had no money and we just wouldn't stop growing.. and she says now that she doesn't know how she did it because she never really learned how to sew. She probably couldn't do it now - unless faced with similar dire straits. You have indeed survived more than your share, Mark, and I salute you as well for a wonderful poem.
~ becky
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A brilliant insight! I have been in the military, but even so, i think many of my most challenging experiences, that took the most courage, were things that had nothing to do with honor or country. all who survive are heroes, like you said, whether they recieve medals for it or not. i salute you for having courage, and honor you for a great write!
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Difficult to comment on this one. You said all on this beautiful poem and some more on your comment. It is so very good to read about hope and human valors after have been reading about dispair and given up on life poems. Some people have an inclination to think that their problems are the biggest in the world, and most of the time those problems do not go beyond foolish things, if compared with the real pain of loss, battle against sickness, and the struggle to survive no matter what. I, for being an eternal optimist, really enjoyed your poem, the way you wrote so open about your feelings and emotions!
Keep on with this beautiful thoughts!
Mari
Edited on Dec 20, 4:32 because ''. -
evocative
a singularly beautiful piece, empowered by raw and true feelings and a real desire to stretch out to people. a poem is not complete until people read and understand it, and yours is definitely one of the best of its kind - the emotion is evident, and simply stated - any reader can feel this and relate to it. sad and uplifting, bared and defiant; this poem embodies what the human nature is about, and redefines courage. this brilliant theme and a flawless writing style - direct sentences, use of the inclusive word 'we', perfect metre in a free verse poem - really displays your level of thought and your talent in poetry...a simply excellent poem that i think should win this contest.
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