When

When you speak against your masters about their wrongs, and know their fearful mockery echoes inside Jericho's walls with no hope of crumbling in your lifetime. Or ever. Yet you spread your word. When you face a wicked foe who follows neither rule nor law, and know they maim and kill to keep themselves and the world in fear. You are faceless. No medals or glory await you. Yet you fight with mercy. When you give your life for strangers who are in need, and know their thanks are cheap and bear the assaults of others asking "Why bother? Where's the reward?" Yet you keep on giving. When you refuse to judge others by superficial traits, and know the mob's fear and hatred whipped up by vultures who hurt by proxy and wound with sound bites. Yet you proudly stand united. When you find a shining truth that conflicts your peers, and know they'll vie and test with baseless doubts or question your motives - your competence - your sanity. Yet you hold your truth high. When your flesh begins to fail and deified healers fall back - "We can't!", and know there's no hope and can see no further than the cliff edge looming fast while you wither away. Yet you think of others. When you command - not by choice - as those with power fail to follow, and know that you alone must choose the hard path for the silent who will suffer by your hand for a better life and hate you for it. Yet you lead until the end. You may not earn wisdom or riches or fame. But you show courage, my friend. And stand at the gates of humanity. (Written in tribute to Rudyard Kipling's poem "if" - one of my favourites - hence the strange title - 10th December 2016)