Lady, Choice

Her weapon descends, my own rises.
One poet-warrior now realizes
No blade but needle e'er pierced me through.
One trouble leads to trouble anew.
Total terrible trouble totals things I dare do.
I'd have done it twice, if I'd known to.

Her weapon ascends, my own falls
Already she disarms all soldiers on walls
Though this castle is, or was mine,
Each of my men would stand in line
To catch glimpse of God's daughter, so fine.
A heady quaff, to parched throats, of good wine.

My weapon flashes, up toward her throat.
I would that this were all she wrote,
But disarming her arm of its sharpened arms,
I now fall prey to her powerful charms.
None of my men show any alarm
When I refuse to do her more harm.

I drop my weapon. I drop to my knees,
Begging fair lady with one poor, strained, "Please..."
Casting her spell with the wink of one eye,
I'm hers to command, to live and not lie.
Fair lady speaks. "Know ye why
"I have come, so ready to die?

"I come for you, to know why you try,
When so very often you wish but to die.
Why do you keep going when all seems lost?"
I to the lady, "Because I know the cost.
If my soul were to be covered in frost,
Millions would rue it. Millions lost!"

Hers, in every way, to command,
She asks me, "Poet-warrior, please stand."
Now rising up on my feet,
Lady before me makes all feel complete.
Gone is all anger, gone pain, gone war-heat.
This my state, when choice lady I meet.

This my full reason why I try.
She is my Why.
My Why I Don't Die.

Joy Within Sorrow

A caged Me slips free
From all the shackles that bind me
Hope whispers, "Well done!" from her cell.
All who fell with me,
Here as well,
Murmur the same.
Twas for us they fell.

Each I need,
Fellow prisoners of mine,
But Hope, always, always
Comes first in line.
Without Hope,
Our strength wears thin.
Without Hope,
We will never begin.
But with her,
We can't help but win.

I eluded my bonds.
Now escaping my cage
By means of Tenacity
And calm, channeled Rage,
I raise my fist to set the stage
To liberate Hope, and by her, a new Page.
But Hope's glance so soothing,
I become un-moving.
Says Hope, "Hold to Tenacity,
But let go of Rage!"

Rage taking my will,
I sense she's right.
I put my Rage
Under the light.
Hell's demons writhe
Within Rage.
They've held to me
While I held to them,
Unaware that, myself,
I'd condemn.
Decades-deep poison
Rage held inside.
Rage ends now.
I cast it aside.

Hope, and all her kin
Are jailed, but I begin
Setting them free.
One by one,
Each freed from her cell.
Never thought I
That I'd be made well
But thanks to God's children,
Gone is my hell.

Never have heaven's angels
Quit on me.
Hope.
Love.
Compassion.
Faith.
Charity.
Serenity.
Balm Personified.
Joy.

Angels, and their protectors,
Gather all round.
Angels: my sisters.
Protectors: my brothers,
Who, also, long stand with me.
Strength.
Courage.
Tenacity, himself, always close by.
Focus.
Drive.
Indomitable, too,
Never,
Never,
Never ceases to try.

Ever for my safety
Have they tried to, me, free.
Now angels and demons
Go toe to toe.
Embattled Me, I again know
Of the worth God places
In His offspring.
Embattled Me, I now go
To the Gold Throne
Angels and Protectors in tow,
Having thrown down their opponents.
They follow me close.
A most encouraging, much-needed dose
Of confidence given by their proximity.
I bow down before the maker of me,
Hoping that He'll make all Embattled We
Worthy of Joy.  Her Author is He.
Hope takes my hand, as she has before.
By God's own command,
She leads me to Joy.  I can hardly stand
It.  About to burst
For all that feels wonderful,
All for which I thirst-
Joy within sorrow, and joy after sins.
A new chapter, a new book,
A new life begins.

Adam Scott Campbell