the measure of a man
agonizing
the man begins to move
pain overwhelms his body
his legs too uncertain to stand.
broken bones
battle scars, war wounds,
the failures that give him pause;
he reaches for strength that no longer exists.
wind blowing,
the sky swells with anger
concussive bursts of light searing
the black backdrop growing ever darker.
defeated
he cries out to the heavens
“why must the storm come now?”
his crimson strength staining the ground.
his arms
buckle under the weight
of his rain drenched frame,
heaving skyward what remains.
past failure
still fresh in the mind
fleeting regret rushes to the front of his mind.
carelessness, poor planning, he begins to criticize his abilities.
deep inside
he looks for the strength,
for the very core of his being;
the part that tells him to press on, to never surrender.
slowly
he moves upward
but tumbles down to the earth
resigned to never try again, to accept his defeat.
a push
still coming from inside,
a lingering feeling still exists
that will not allow failure to triumph.
steadily,
carefully, slowly;
the man pulls himself up
by pushing the world away.
standing
walking slowly
hobbling awkwardly away, the man beams with pride,
only having accomplished a task which seams so menial to most.
a man
is only as mighty
as the situations that he must overcome;
and only in times of great weakness can great strength be recognized.
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