Warrior by lilyl’estrange

Warrior

You who believe in sunrises
You whose hand somehow insists
On reaching for the roulette wheel
You in whose face door after door has slammed
Yet stand again
In front of this unmarked one
You who have failed yourself
More times than there are true numbers
You who have sought the counterfeit solace of numbness
You whose feet are bloodied and bruised
From crossing the cruel terrain
Of lies and self-deception
You whose face
Has been slashed by words
You whose mouth still tastes
The bitterness of betrayal
You whose eyes have been fed cruelty
Yet still find beauty,

I salute you.

You who are wiser than rain
You who kiss the wounded
As you would kiss your child
You who sing because you must
You who believe in believing
You so heartbreakingly perfectly imperfect,

I salute you.

You are a flag to the rest of us.
You shall be known
By your true name
And your true spirit.

I salute you

Domenic Tamborriello is a clinical social worker in private practice in Ann Arbor, MI. He runs poetry therapy groups as an integral part of his counseling practice and is committed to helping others find their most authentic voices.