Strong

You can’t call yourself strong if you haven’t been to hell and back,

If you haven’t carried a heavy load and watched your soul turn black,

If you’ve never trudged through mud while boulders weigh you down,

Watched the world you built burn to the ground.

But you learn to dig your claws into crumbling rock,

Your limbs become nimble, your eyes sharp like a hawk.

Resiliency stretches you from your feet to your hips,

See the looming mountain ahead and tho’ fear has its grip

You learn how to shake from its shadow and soldier on,

Emerging from darkness to follow the dawn,

Barely able to make it, your last ounce of energy,

Driven by hope, crawling on your hands and knees.

You’ve done it before and you’ll do it once more.

You are strong enough now to win this war.