Meaning in my scars,
etched letters on my arm -
A man with a Bowie knife
Letters form the words:
"Dredge soil from his soul;
a lake without mud's alive."
Seemingly unharmed.
Best feeling ever had -
was spared from the shiny blade.
Now I'll stick around.
Scared? No, I think I'm brave;
let destiny have its way.
I know how dark this poem is, but being reminded of mortality can be a good thing. Being reminded can make you thankful for what you have, knowing it's temporary. I was assaulted, once, but I healed from those ****** stab wounds. I'm thankful. I needed to be shown how real death is. Great men have known this.
After a victory, Roman generals were reminded of death and kept humble by the tradition of having a slave whisper to them, "momento mori," which means, "remember you must die," or other reminders of mortality. The tradition was meant to humble triumphant generals. Many great warriors have fought, knowing that they are already dead in some way. They fight better, believing that.
Life is a constant battle.