Warrior Poem by Angela Bontle Ditumiso

I know how life gets sometimes
How it turns into this dome
Full of gloom and hopelessness
And there's nothing you can do or say
To make the situation better
And the light bulb hope within you
Dies leaving everything in total darkness
Those days are the worst
Those days are like a curse
You can't wish them away
And they stretch and stretch for the longest time

Have you ever felt like you're wilting from within?
I do sometimes
And you try to water yourself with words and water
But you keep shriveling
That desire to live depleting
The rhythm getting closer to a flat line
Yes, Life sometimes torments us
As if it enjoys seeing our bodies collapse
As if it's a joyous scene having us
Mourning in intense pain
The air sometimes is made of micro pins
You can feel them pierce your lungs
As you breathe
But that doesn't mean
You should stop breathing

It sure is hard to stay afloat
When life is pulling you down
But we can be victors
The shore is within reach
These tribulations may simulate mountains
But do not give in
Do not stop fighting
Giants fall at the hands of tiny bodies
Fight and never give in
Fight with all your might
Do not sit still in hopelessness
And watch trials gnaw at you

You have strength immeasurable
Even when you don't feel it
You can overcome it all
Take a stand
Problems are passing
"Tribulations come and go
An exercise for the living
A trial run to determine
Our strength and endurance"
Next time problems
Approach as they shall
Remember, we're stronger than we
Perceive
Anything that comes your way
You can defeat it
You have all you need to win a war!