Rise
Rise
You were never missing a kind word
A life story
A tale unheard
You never missed a hug
A gentle soul
A heart to tug
You never knew how drastically
You steered me away from catastrophe
You never were anything but modest and yet
Your love and support was the best I could get
You always said what I needed to hear
A caring smile
A listening ear
You always had an air of caution
A wise notion
A safer option
If only you took your own advice
That fateful night
I imagine your cries
I think of you not with blood on your face
The thoughts of your death I leave not a trace
My mind would wander as if floating through space
I’d find a tidbit I’d thought I erased
A thought I had buried since your demise
I’ll always remember how you told me to rise
You told me, don’t bow out and follow the crowd
Go out, stay true, stay loud
When you see a gruesome sight
Don’t look away
Open your eyes
Feel that anger
Feel that disgust
Feel the fight
And rise
If you were alive today you’d see
Just how well that’s worked out for me
But knowing you
And your fighting spirit
I know in my heart
You won’t want to hear it
You’ll say, “Don’t you worry yourself, you’ll reach for the skies”
“You’ll brush yourself off, and someday you’ll rise”.