Sojourners all
We must fall
Here today, now
No morrow, how?
We fade away
Slowly, if I may
Out of limelight
Not out of sight
It all falls apart
Ere your body, they cart
To the grave
Home of the brave
switch the light on
and never turn it off
once the darkness is gone
you'll fall in love
when the light shines for you
you can finally see just what they do
and once you know
the future may not be bright
because terror hides in plain sight
all you have
they'll try to take
all you love and
all you make
for power and money
is all they crave
send you to war
because they are so
brave brave [brave, brave]
we are the ones who win the wars
and they are the ones
who keep us on the floor
fight their battles
but never win
return home
and wonder why the wars begin
For The Brave
Rush quickly to me my sarcastic wit,
My heart's weak battlements are under siege;
For the world torments me as it sees fit,
Unrelenting to thee my faithful liege.
Bring sharpest of words to aid in my war,
That the loss of so piteous a life
May be reflected in its final score
To say bravery housed within was rife.
O Muses armor, truest pen to hand,
The stage is set and curtain call is nigh;
Before blood spills upon this dying land,
My words on wings must climb into the sky.
Before my words become a faded thought...
I'll shed the tear for which I've bravely fought.
Break the wall -
question all,
resist fear,
but be clear.
Watch a wild flower -
with little power,
blooms all day,
making its way,
with its little big might,
it puts up a good fight
casting every doubt
out!
forging on.
The sun it gazes upon -
without a helping hand
it emerges so grand
beyond the wall,
abiding by its call
pursuing its vision
finishing its mission!
Copyright © 2020 by Crystal David John
Published in my book titled 'Trails of Thought,' which is available on Amazon
You, my daughter, a friend for life,
A pillar of constant strength
Against the maddening strife,
You stand by me to any length.
You are sparkling and rare,
A precious priceless gem…
A treasure beyond compare!
And from you will always stem,
Brutally honest emotions and care,
That will shine brightly I know -
Here or there or anywhere,
Like the sunbeams that glow!
Your laughter brings such solace,
In your concern, I find a light,
The tests of time you help me face,
Like a beacon in the darkest night.
Your love and haven so open and true,
A bond that time can never sever.
In every moment I see in you
A gem, a gift I’ll cherish forever.
In this tapestry of life we weave,
So well interlaced in harmony -
Through all the joys and sadness, I believe
That the love we share is a melodic symphony!
Through every trial and every care,
The highs and lows we together share,
Our bond grows stronger with time,
Like a poem with a perfect rhyme!
Copyright © 2022 by Crystal David John
Ah! What was that?
I shriek and freeze
Something flew past
I almost dropped.
It wasn’t a bird
Or anything sweet
It had long feelers
And too many feet.
It circled once
Then took a dive
I questioned how
I’d make it out alive.
Its shell was shiny
Its stare was mean
The ugliest thing
I’ve ever seen.
I grabbed a shoe
Prepared to swing
But it took flight.
The cursed thing had wings!
I ran and screamed
Down the hall
Not so brave
Not tough at all.
But fear held me back,
I couldn’t get away,
Hands trembling,
I faced it anyway.
Then I saw it
I stepped in slow,
Still full of fear,
It didn’t move,
But I wouldn’t go near.
I grabbed a slipper,
Threw hard from afar,
Missed on the first,
Then followed up hard.
I raised my sandal,
Gave one last swing,
A nasty crunch,
I ended the thing.
A tiny tugboat chugs along,
And hums a happy, smoky
song.
It pulls the giant ships to
shore,
Through ocean waves that
crash and roar,
Because its iron heart is
strong.
Pip the sparrow was very
thirsty on a hot and sunny
summer day.
He spotted a pitcher with a
little bit of water at the very
bottom.
He dropped small pebbles
into it until the water rose so
he could take a drink.
A small blue kite was afraid to
fly high in the windy, blue sky.
His friend the gentle breeze
gave him a big, encouraging
push.
Soon, the kite was dancing
proudly above the tallest
trees in the park.
A friend of mine was telling me I'm so brave for travelling to different countries on my own. It's something that I have been told a number of times. From having a coffee or a meal in a restaurant on my own to travelling abroad to spending time alone... Don't be afraid to do these things.
Brave
By Michelle Morris
30/06/2026
You tell me that I'm brave
For doing things I always do
Spending time alone
Travelling the world that's meant for two
Eating dinner in a restaurant
Having coffee in a café
Taking walks along the beach
I'm alone but never lonely, as they say
It might seem a tad unconventional
It might seem foreign to your way of life
But it's important to spend time alone
Get your heart and mind aligned
If you never give yourself that space
You'll forever be clouded by other feelings
Their energy and emotions
Their frequency and dealings
Because we are all connected
Through space and time and threads
So if we never create some space around us
We'll land up getting confused instead
So, why not try it today
Be brave and spend time alone
Do various things solo
And you'll always be your home
© Michelle Morris, 2026
Together fearless
A faithful friend by my side
Braving the night
AP: 3rd place 2026
Everest brave Queen
As the whispering pines murmur your name,
The freezing air congeals your breath, and eve's
Misty veil shrouds your rosy visage. Then,
My dream appears, suffused with a mysterious smile:
'Holy Mother Peak, the summons is for you alone.'
When snow slumbers in the darkest, most remote paths,
The glacier's thunderous roar and the starlit firmament
Beneath your feet converge to beckon you, like the sonorous
Tolling of a temple bell that resounds through the stillness.
The enchanted, desolate beauty of the Loneliness Queen
Echoes with the ferocity of a tempest, where death
Looms as a constant companion with every tentative step.
Yet courage unfurls like fragrant grass, imbued with resolve.
One day, I shall vanquish you, O Peak, to behold
The most breathtaking spectacle: time suspended,
The Earth's rotation arrested, as if mesmerized by the scene—
Every moment frozen in awe as I stand on the loftiest
Pinnacle of the world. Beneath my feet, the world appears
Diminutive, for at last, the Queen is subdued,
Having fought the most arduous battle, and I, the victor,
Don the crown of snow with unyielding glory and pride.
Brave’s just a little bit bolder,
I am willing to take that risk.
It gets old and I get older,
brave’s just a little bit bolder.
Pep in that step set to smolder,
I’m polished as an odalisque.
Brave’s just a little bit bolder,
I am willing to take that risk.
Where have all the brave men gone?
They break into your house, steal your money,
Car keys, wallet and whatever they can.
Masked men, or covered faces with hoodies.
They assault the old, children, women and defenceless men.
What has become of facing your enemies?
Not that the innocent people are their enemies.
That’s right! All they are guilty of is trying to
Live in peace.
They attack mostly in the middle of the night,
Waving machetes, knives and guns.
And, if that’s not enough, it’s illegal to afflict
Any bodily harm to these aggressors.
Unless of course if it’s due diligence of self-
Defence. What do we do to defend ourselves?
Sit back and take it on the chin? Willingly let them in?
Judge, please refuse bail and throw these
Scumbags where they belong, even prison
Isn’t harsh enough for all these crimes committed.
When battle knocks upon a child
and he hides beneath the trembling wall,
fear plants its flag inside his name
and silence becomes his shadow.
For life is not a river crossed
with folded hands and lowered eyes;
the sky respects the stubborn bird
that flies against the storm.
A boy becomes a man one day
not merely by the count of years,
but by the wounds he dares to face
and the tears he refuses to waste.
The brave are not strangers to fear;
their hearts still shake like fragile leaves,
yet they rise when destiny calls
and answer thunder with footsteps.
O child of the red earth,
when hardship stands before your door,
do not surrender your spirit
to the cold comfort of retreat.
Stand.
Even if your voice quivers.
Fight.
Even if your knees grow weak.
For the one who confronts his battle
may fall and rise again with honour,
but the one who runs forever
becomes a prisoner of his own fear.
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