Courage

I cannot stop the torment my mind endures.
I do not respect myself for being afraid.
Where did all the others find the courage,
To stand up, head above the tall waters of tolerance.

I must find solace in my actions,
Yet my will battles my desires.

My mind empowers me to be subject to its decisions,
Yet I fight it.

I must destroy the walls that have been built for centuries,
There to convince me of my uselessness.
I must honor those that lived before me,
Who sacrificed all, because they knew they had to.

I have begun to realize the importance of opportunity.
To grasp it and charge through the gauntlet of doubt,
Is the only way to heal my mind of its pessimism.

Every story has an ending,
And I have selfishly worried how mine might finish.

Yet I have finally realized,
That without a good beginning,
A happy ending is useless,
For no one will ever care enough to find out how the story ends.

 

Joseph D. Gonzalez, Class of 2009