Island

They urge: "Live for yourself".

But how could I stand still—

To watch them fracture and tear,

Then simply carry on?

I lack the hollow "courage"

to turn away,

So I choose to remain.

I would rather be the wood

that burns and bleeds,

If it means my kin stay warm.

For the day a man turns inward

for his own sake

Is the day he casts away

the mantle of his name.

A man’s purpose is to be the pillar,

Providing even when the world

thrashes him thin.

Let a steady smile be

the shroud for your scars;

In truth, there is no shoulder to rest on

but his own.

He must create, destroy, and rebuild—

all in the silence.

Taught to follow the road and

let the Lord lead the way.

But what if I am cast upon an island

of salt and stone,

With no land in sight?

What path do I walk then?

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