A Warrior's dream

Sparked by the current state of play in the world and linked to more ancient tales. My hope is that this piece highlights how we are all warriors and we should all have hope, no matter our history.

An old warrior dreaming,

While the land around is bleeding.

Hope seems like a distant memory, 

As people fight to keep breathing. 

 

Hope should mean more than just breathing. 

 

The warrior dreaming,

Of times that held meaning.

Moments of love, children, childhood and sweet freedom.

Now, the warrior hopes he’ll wake up still breathing.

 

Hope should mean more than just breathing.

 

The warrior wakes, blood soaked and cold,

This pilgrim’s tale has all but been told.

Nearby, flames won’t keep him warm,

Around him, he hears hopeless, broken breathing.

 

Hope should mean more than just breathing. 

Reviews

[Patricia]

There are a lot of things to consider in this piece, which I like because it is thought provoking. Although we can clearly see warriors do not just fight and kill warriors especially in light of what we see in Ukraine and not just there but all modern day wars that have been recorded. We see rape and murder and execution of civilians. This is not new to war of course but it is more up in our face and still we don’t change. I think true warriors have been romanticized and we want to believe they are true and many but war brings out the ugly and dark in people. I think “meaning” is an interesting word choice in the third stanza…we have to be in agreement for that to be true but an individual can change that… hmmmmm yes thought provoking, so yea a good poem if you create conversation, so… Well done

[Mark Henderson]

Thank you for the detailed feedback Patricia. I really like what you have said here. I agree and think there is so much more. I wanted this piece to capture all of this pain in a very simple way.

Thank you for the feedback though. Maybe I will explore this piece in more depth.

[Patricia]

it's a wonderful poem! Write on!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

more than just survival...that is what hope is.
this reminded me of the Native Americans and how we basically stole their land from him when we came to America...pushed them on to crappy reservations...
we were the pilgrims...they showed hospitality, and we broke them....they knew how to treat the land.
Look what we have done to it.
Damn....and history just repeats and repeats and repeats...
here we are again...Russia/Ukraine...and more madmen wreaking havoc.
you write such truth and write it so well.
j.

[Mark Henderson]

Thank you. Feedback like this is the reason I write. And completely, we live in a very complicated cycle.