The Altars Of Others Poem by Martins Akhoeneto

Guard your sacrifices.
Not every altar deserves your fire.
Do not burn your soul
to keep another's darkness warm.

Never trade your deepest convictions
for the applause of a passing crowd.
Those who demand your self betrayal
will not restore what you surrender.

You may win the room
and lose yourself in the bargain.
You may kneel so long to please the world
that standing feels like defiance.

True dignity begins where self betrayal ends.
Know what to give
and what must remain untouched.

An empty vessel cannot pour.
A fractured compass cannot lead.
And a soul that abandons itself for approval
has nothing whole left to offer.

Let the crowd keep its applause.
Let the altar stand unattended.
Better to disappoint the world intact
than earn its praise in pieces.