What l thought Was my comfort zone
Turned out to be my worst nightmare
It killed all the  potential l had

I. STRENGTH;
any man can fight,
any man can swing his fists,
or shoot a gun.
any man can fight for himself,
but a hero fights for others.

(he fights their demons, but who fights his?)

II. SUPPORT;
any man can defend.
any man can raise his shield,
or make a narrow escape.
any man can defend himself,
but a hero defends others.

(he is a wall of solid rock,
but rock cannot bend; only break)

III. SPIRIT;
any man can suffer.
any man can weather a storm,
or feel the sting of pain.
any man can suffer for himself,
but a hero suffers for others.

(he has scars that none can remember;
or is it they not care to recall?)

IV. SYMPATHY;
any man can be happy.
any man can make money,
or indulge in all his desires.
any man can bring happiness to himself,
but a hero brings happiness unto others.

(they praise his name to the sky;
but no one asks why he cries)

V. SACRIFICE;
any man can die.
any man can be killed,
for he is still but a man.
any man can die for himself,
but a hero dies for others—

and so a hero never dies.

(but sometimes, they die inside,
and there’s no marker for that grave.)

Instincts shrink
when love is on the table
for instincts are for survival
And love is for a dying
in the grandest ritual possible
And although as my gut tells me
Warns me to be on my guard
Cautioning, my brain is mush
And so is my own heart -
Dampen my instincts then,
Love, have me be ******,
Take all of my very existence,
Sacrificing survival on insistence.