The Battlefield Poem by Conrad Seegert

The world is a battlefield of words
Where people attack others in many different ways
Some attacks are like fists
They hurt at first
But you stand back up

Others use daggers
They stab you in the back
You fall as they step over you
Leaving you behind

Some use poison
It slowly spreads
The pain spreading with it
It infects every part of you
Your heart, your soul

They attack you relentlessly, nonstop
All to tear you down - make sure you don't get back up
But, you can stand against it
Through speech a shield is created
You deflect these shouts and whispers
And stand tall without using the backs of others as your stepping stool

This is true power
One created by bring up those around you
Instead of pushing them down
Instead of words filled with hate and backed by violence
You can use words showing kindness and generosity

This allows those around you to stand tall
And help you create change
The same words held at your throat
Can become something beautiful when they are nurtured
Sometimes they bloom

For in each of us
There is a power that lies dormant
It is often misused and misunderstood
People use it in the pursuit of power
Instead of the pursuit of happiness

When awoken this power is not meant for you
But everyone
A power meant to be shared
One that heals, not harms
In the face of daggers, poison, and fists
Fear may grab hold of you

So when on the battlefield
Don't be afraid, instead
Remember the power which you hold
And share it with those around you
Rise for the world, rise for love, rise for change

Rise for the Words