Sunlight flickering through shades pulled taut

Eyes flutter open as dreams retreat like shadows
Time is frozen between the outside world and this safe haven
I contemplate chasing after those fleeting dreams

But sleep eludes me as it often does
My whirring mind meanders through back alleys of the brain
It tells me, there is no sleep for the brave

What does that mean? Brave?
Bravery is defined through danger and daring
Bravery is thought of as trustworthy and tender
Bravery is found in both friend and foe
Yet bravery is more than just a definition or word

It is a person, an action, a feeling.
You can see it all around you in every face you meet
It’s elusive yet when found is unforgettable
Bravery imprints itself on your very soul and changes you forever

Bravery is the man down the street that
Straps a badge to his hip and kisses his wife goodbye
Without knowing if he will come home to greet his baby girl again.

Bravery is the woman who sits outside the library
With a cup in one hand and a face lined with years of worry
She grasps onto the last visible threads of humanity
And hopes that one day someone will see her as human once again.

Bravery is the little boy that believes in a better life
Someday he will not be hungry or scared
Someday he will take care of his mother just as she did for him and
Someday will come when he will do more than just hope.

Bravery changes its face and its shape
Bravery acts in mysterious ways with mysterious means
But bravery is more than just a word, it is a hope for a better tomorrow.

I am brave I tell myself
And then I get out of bed.