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A Warrior’s Open Letter To Death

“Once more into the fray. Into the last good fight I’ll ever know. Live and die on this day. Live and die on this day.” ~The Grey


A Warrior’s Open Letter To Death

Dear Grim Reaper, I’d like to warn
That I won’t run like most
I will not flee, I will not hide
This is not a proud boast

It’s not a threat or challenge
Just a promise what’s to come
When we are face to face, this Warrior
Will not succumb

To fear, to doubt or regret ‘cause
For years I have now walked
The path that so many have only
Dreamed and wished and talked

I know you wait until some are
Breaking down and quite old
Know regardless of my grey
I’ll always be this bold

Come for me while I’m still strong
In muscle and in mind
Come for me before my ears
Go deaf and eyes go blind

And though the outcome’s definite
I only have one goal
When I do battle with you, it’s
To exact a great toll

I do not doubt your victory
But I assure one truth
If you come for me while I am
Still in my years of youth

When you are finished, you will have
To stop and take a breath
You’ll know it was a Warrior
That has just battled Death

See you somewhere down the road
On that cold, lonely night
I’m not afraid for I know it
Will be my last good fight

                            ~Miro

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When To Let It Slide

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” ~Herman Hesse


When To Let It Slide

Yes, I often say “Speak up!”
And beat upon your chest
Point a finger and make sure
Selfishness is addressed

But sometimes there is just no point
It is a waste of breath
Some people are just too entrenched
And set in ways ‘till death

The question many ask is how
They’ll know which one is which
Speaking for myself, it’s when
I feel a little itch

I see a little glimmer or
I hear a little spark
Something in the person tells me
Their heart’s not all dark

In contrast, there are people who
Are rotten through and through
Give them one hundred chances
And they’ll disappoint you

They’re too wrapped in seeking ease
Comfort, luxury, rest
They are not worth the time or effort
That you could invest

In other people who have hope
Potential, hidden grace
It will be obvious to you
Who doesn’t have a trace

I’ve found the ones who are without
A hope to be as rare
As Warriors and that’s the only
Way that they compare

Let it slide and save your strength
For battles with a cause
Hopeless people have no wish
To improve on their flaws

                           ~Miro

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Divine Shortcut

“God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things done.”  ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Divine Shortcut

“God will this” and “God will that”
I hear many believers chat
“God will handle everything”
They promise, praise, rejoice and sing

But then reality steps in
And stress and struggle do begin
“Don’t worry, leave it up to God!”
This way of thinking is quite flawed

To pass the buck and sit and wait
And let God deal with all the hate
With challenges that do arise
With grief whenever someone dies

The God-believing Warrior
Does not pass bucks, does not defer
They walk up to and face head on
What most wish God would make be gone

They understand that God is not
A shortcut through dismay and fraught
God gave you all that you need
To pray for anymore is greed

It’s lacking faith within one’s own
Courage and strength, it’s blindness shown
To one’s innate ability
To be of fear and sorrow free

The Warrior’s hands never clasp
And beg God to their troubles grasp
To Warriors, that’s laziness
When God designed us, He did bless

With everything it takes to deal
We’re not supposed to wait and kneel
So get up and do battle now
Sever your stress, through hardships plow

And be assured that God does see
You are what He made you to be
In His image you stand alone
And conquer everything that’s thrown

No shortcuts needed, no reprieve
For Warriors who still believe
The long and hard way is divine
To walk it takes not prayers, just spine

                                           ~Miro

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Upset

“He who angers you conquers you.” ~Elizabeth Kenny


Upset

There was a man who was angered
Because he did not get
Exactly what he had in mind
So he got quite upset

He whined, complained and let off steam
And then a few days later
Forgot about what angered him
And stopped being a hater

A Warrior walked up to him
And asked “You still upset?
A couple days ago you were
Filled with venom and fret”

“No,” the man replied, “that was
A couple days ago
It’s sorted itself out and now
I no longer feel woe”

“Then here is something that will bring
You back to that passed day”
The Warrior said and proceeded
To these harsh words say:

“You are a fool, you are disgusting
Weak, pathetic, lame
Selfish, how you spout your wrath
And constantly lay blame

You give no thought of how your words
Cause turmoil in others
All you care about is you
No thought for sisters, brothers

You don’t get what you want and so
You act like a big baby
Instead of taking days to cool
Do it instantly, maybe?”

The man who was upset was once
Again filled with much rage
The Warrior had poked the bear
And rattled his small cage

“How dare you say these words to me?”
He shouted angrily
The Warrior said, “‘Cause I won’t
Just sit here silently”

“You have a problem and I see
A chance to help you train
And so I make you this promise:
I will cause you much pain

I will ruffle your feathers and
I will step on your toes
I’ll stomp your eggshells and I will
Cause your ego great woes

You’ll get upset, then feel better
A couple days from now
And when you do, I promise you
I make you this stern vow:

That I will do it all again
‘Till pattern’s clear to you”
With that the Warrior turned and
Walked off into the blue

Leaving the upset man to
Huff and puff and be mad
Until a couple days later
When something made him glad

                            ~Miro :)

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Mothers

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”  ~Elizabeth Stone

Mothers

There was a woman who decided
To give up her hold
On her own heart for something more
Precious to her than gold

It was more precious than diamonds
Or any other jewel
It was for diapers, crying and
Puréed carrots and drool

It was for sickness, broken hearts
Drama, uncertainty
It was to be a mother which she
Was so proud to be

The child knows not how they’ve carried
Their mother’s heart from birth
And carry it along with them
No matter where on Earth

They travel to, no matter how far
Life takes them away
How nice for Mothers that their hearts
Come back on Mother’s Day

                          ~for Mom

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Code of Bushidō: Loyalty (Chuugi)

Code of Bushidō: Loyalty (Chuugi)

The last virtue of Bushidō
Cannot be practiced by
One without humility
Who holds themselves more high

Than any other person, force
Creator or ideal
Loyalty’s a virtue that
To egos won’t appeal

Loyalty is faithfulness
To family and to peers
To masters who have trained to help
You overcome your fears

Loyalty to your country
And your ideals as well
An automatic adherence
Without the need to dwell

Loyalty is when you won’t
Stab someone in the back
When they’re not around to give
Response to your attack

Loyalty is when you choose
To hold someone up high
Even though everyone else
Just spits into their eye

Loyalty means no gossip
No speaking thoughtless things
Loyalty is standing up
For masters and for kings

For Saviors and for prophets and
For creators and Gods
A warrior will not betray
Just so they’re not at odds

The samurai were loyal to
The point where they would pay
Their very lives so loyalty
Would not be led astray

So for a second, think, is there
Something you would die for?
‘Cause if there’s not, then you have no
Loyalty at your core

You’re only loyal to yourself
Which is called “selfishness”
And since the code is intertwined
Then you will not possess

Any other virtues that
The samurai maintained
When a virtue’s sacrificed
The others aren’t sustained

But when a virtue is practiced
The others grow in turn
That’s the only way to rise
The only way to learn

The only way to walk the path
That samurai did walk
The only way to awaken
Discover and unlock

The warrior that waits within
Who doesn’t care what year
Or part of Earth you live in, only
That your heart is clear

That it’s filled with Rectitude
Courage, Benevolence
Respect, Honesty, Honor
Loyalty that’s immense

Follow that forgotten code
And all of you will know
The strength that Warrior-Knights had
In days of long ago

                        ~Miro

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Code of Bushidō: Honor (Meiyo)

Code of Bushidō: Honor (Meiyo)

Honor is integrity
Adherence to a code
Unimpaired and unwavered when
Others choose to goad

Honor’s not a part-time thing
No momentary lapses
In integrity when someone
Else’s peace collapses

Warrior’s will hold fast and
Honor the code they follow
With poise and grace through difficult
Times while others will wallow

Honor is a self-respect
That’s earned and can’t be bought
It cannot be stolen and to
The selfish can’t be taught

It is the courage and resolve
To make the right decision
Even when you’re not under
Anyone’s supervision

Honor is not sacrificed
To lie or cheat or steal
To take a shortcut that will make
An easier ordeal

The Warrior-Knights earned themselves
The reputation of
Being men of honor ‘cause
They held themselves above

Basic human desires
Like comfort, ease and pleasure
They knew pursuing just those things
Made men of little measure

Honor’s held in high regard
‘Cause it’s a selfless act
To sacrifice your own yearning
So that your code is backed

And it’s a virtue that lairs
And thieves cannot deny
They say “There goes a warrior
Who’s much stronger than I”

                            ~Miro

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Code of Bushidō: Honesty (Makoto)

Code of Bushidō: Honesty (Makoto)

Lying is the act of cowards
Gutless, craven sneaks
A warrior only recites
Truth when he or she speaks

A warrior does not need to
Embellish the details
They recognize compared to truth
That chicanery pales

They relish in accuracy
Precision, fact and care
To disgrace themselves with a lie
A warrior won’t dare

And being masters of the truth
A warrior knows lies
Whenever they do rear their heads
And can see through their guise

A warrior has faith that truth
Will never lead astray
They do not feel the need to taint
With different shades of grey

They know the truth will not always
Be what some want to hear
But causing others discomfort
Is not something they fear

Through all their constant training of
Conveying honesty
A warrior becomes something
Impressive: a trustee

For trust is faith and trust is hope
And trust is confidence
Optimism, certainty
Within your common sense

The warrior does not tell lies
And will not stretch the facts
Because their honesty is one
Of their virtuous acts

                         ~Miro

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Code of Bushidō: Respect (Rei)

Code of Bushidō: Respect (Rei)

Virtue four of Bushidō:
The ethic of respect
A concept that has long since died
But now we’ll resurrect

To show regard for other folks
To see what they have done
To pay respect for all the work
And miles that they run

To take notice of efforts made
And make efforts as well
To not just think of compliments
But to speak up and tell

To make the little gestures that
Show others our esteem
A bow, a nod, a handshake or
A smile where we beam

Waiting ‘till one’s finished speaking
To give our two cents
Cutting someone off is a
Disrespect so immense

Letting others say their peace
And though we disagree
Having respect for their view
And saying “Let it be”

Keeping promises and taking
The time to respond
Warriors and respect are
An unbreakable bond

Paying back or paying forward
Good deeds paid to us
Action that is second nature
No need to discuss

The key to respect is that others
All come before you
Respect is something that selfish
People cannot accrue

Because they’re too busy concerned
With what they want from you
To be able to pay respect
As true warriors do

                         ~Miro

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Code of Bushidō: Benevolence (Jin)

Code of Bushidō: Benevolence (Jin)

The third virtue of Bushidō
Is their benevolence
Although they possessed deadly skill
Their mercy was immense

They didn’t focus solely on
Themselves or their rich kings
They had acuity to notice
All the little things

The sick, the poor, the downtrodden
The broken ones in need
The samurai were never too
Busy for a good deed

Understanding, slow to anger
Full of patience, grace
Tolerance and charity
For those who could not face

Challenges and struggles that
Were too much to endure
Suffering for Bushidō
Acted much like a lure

A sense of duty to assist
To use their heightened state
For the benefit of others
To reduce their weight

Benevolence is a kind act
That needn’t be returned
It isn’t only saved for those
Who have paid or have earned

Benevolence is doing what
You know deep down is right
An integral part of the ancient
Code of Warrior-Knight

                       ~Miro