The Road to War...

Originally Written on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 12:31am

What does it mean to see the face of God? Is it a literal translation where one actually perceives the face of the Creator? Or is it metaphorical; having at last glimpsed some existential revelation that transcends previous thoughts regarding our reality?

Do we exist in a world that consists of natural laws and absolute truths, or is even the concept of the world a subjective creation of our sensations and experiences limited only by the constraints we place upon ourselves?

As I write this sitting by myself in front of my computer, over six billion people are living out their lives in vastly similar and different ways. It is, to me, inconceivable that I will ever truly be able to live in their world, because I will never experience it. I may meet thousands of people in my life, and touch several hundred of them in some meaningful way. It is even possible that my words and deeds will somehow influence the thoughts and actions of others. That, in my opinion, is an extremely powerful notion.

The legacies we as individuals leave behind us when we die are measured in innumerable ways. Wealth, property, offspring, even our family names are considered part of what we leave behind to posterity. Personally, I think more significant than the sum of all the others is the affect we have on the people we meet in our lives. The impression we leave after a friendly smile, a casual word, a glance, a loving embrace; whether the time spent together lasts long enough for a few sentences or a lifetime of shared memories and experiences our words and actions can echo in another's mind for the rest of their life. That, is a legacy.

The Road to War...

I march along the road to war,
To live, to die, to breath, to soar.
And though I am consumed by Night,
I'll not surrender my inner Light.

The one that drives me to succeed,
An endless hunger I need to feed.
Though battered, broken, bruised and bled,
Yet still this lonesome path I'll tread.

Now pay attention or you'll misperceive,
These words are more than average creed.
I need you here now can you see,
Just what these words do mean to me?

I've run farther than men can dream,
I've born this pain without a scream.
In search for immortality,
Until the end I'll not bend knee.

And so I march along this road,
Not knowing what the time will bode.
Yet ever knowing that my fight,
Will lead me to undying right.

Of principles, this moral code,
I swear by life I will uphold.
They'll mock, they'll sneer, they do not know,
My enemies I will lay low.

I've wandered now this endless dream,
For countless nights my thoughts do teem.
I'll rest beneath the bright starlight,
and marshal strength to fight with might.

These Demons now they mock, they jeer,
They try to beat me down with fear.
Yet each new day I rise again,
I march to war until the end.

I've shed my tears for fallen friends,
and vanquished foes as they descend.
I will not think compassion's trite,
but my soul still shines a bit less bright.

This weariness a burdened crown,
And emptiness this ghostly town.
The lonesome cold it does surround,
Drag me beneath the depths underground.

I feel the weight come crashing down,
These whispers try to make me drown.
Of death, despair, defeat and woe,
At twilight's end I still shout no.

I pick myself back off the ground,
My battle shout so clear the sound.
Defiant still, my head held high,
This tempest wind, a serene sigh.

With each new breath within my side,
I fill my soul with fire and pride,
I stand unbroken, show no fear,
These dedicated eyes do seer.

With strength infused into my limbs,
My conviction steel; save these victims.
I will not quit nor will I fail,
I'll see this battle through Shadow's Vale.

My words and deeds they do avow,
As I place my conscience upon my brow.
I sheath my sword the war is done,
I look to see where dawn comes from.

As sunlight washes overhead,
I stand atop the conquered dead.
Look past horizons of futures untold,
I take that lonesome step so bold.

So off to war I march again,
A constant struggle start to end.
I now know why they call it life,
The joys that come with all the strife.

The road to war goes on and on,
I'll stay this course from dusk to dawn.
With each new battle I swear my vow,
Immortality begins right here, right now.



Life brings new challenges every day. Sometimes they confront us head on. Sometimes they come out of nowhere. Sometimes we're ready for them. Sometimes we're not. These challenges can bring us great pain, and they can bring great sorrow. The true test of our character comes not when we are at our best, but when we are most vulnerable. It is when we are broken and shattered that our true character shines through. It is when our hearts are bared with tears streaming down our faces that we are most beautiful. It is when we are so weak that we can barely stand or see through the pain that our true strength is unveiled. It is only after we have broken down all barriers that we can truly begin to build something meaningful. It is only when life is chaotic and swirling all around us that we can clearly see its true meaning.

I am a Peaceful Warrior. Each and every day I find myself distracted. Each and every day I find myself needing a war to fight. A cause to pledge myself to. A goal to achieve. A mountain to climb. Each and every day I march along the road to war, and each and every single day I am reborn again as I find something or someone to fight for. My only hope is that with each new day I can take someone's pain away, lighten their burden, and help them see through to the other side where they can find peace and happiness.