I wear layers of armor, 

yet I am no knight. 

I carry a shield, 

yet I am no warrior. 

Every day I prepare for battle, 

every day I take to my trench. 

I wait endlessly for an attack to come, 

day in and day out, 

believing my enemies to be on the march. 

Through the slits in my visor, 

I see my compatriots. 

I watch as they play, 

engaging in joyous fun. 

Fun that I can only dream of. 

Fools, I lament. 

They are fools. 

They don’t see what is on the horizon, 

they do not see the danger that is lurking. 

They do away with caution, 

letting it be swept up by the wind. 

I watch as they flirt with their enemies, 

playing with fire, 

just waiting to get burned. 

Not me - that will never be me. 

I'm too conscientious- 

too smart. 

They court death, 

I will never die. 

They dance at the edge, 

I will never dance. 

One day, long from now, 

when they have gone, 

when their elated shouts are reduced to echoes, 

I will remain. 

I will always remain. 

Each day, in my trench, prepared for war. 

I will fight against all enemies, 

real and imagined. 

I will not allow myself to fall into the same traps. 

My life will go on. 

It will be slow, it will grind, 

but it will go on. 

I will go on. 

And what if I were to leave my trench, 

step into no man’s land?

If I relinquished my armor, 

let down my shield, 

will my life be better? 

I know not what lies ahead, 

what stands before. 

Do I retreat, 

or do I proceed? 

Do I show fear, 

or do I show courage?