once i knew a warrior

he lived by the sword

and defended those he loved with honor and enthusiasm


and then the dark time came

and the killing never stopped

no more parades

no more homecomings

just endless war


in time in desperation he threw down the sword

and said no more


the shield was a lot harder to let go of

which is the warriors other tool

and a symbol of war


in time i met some of those with no defenses


and in time i saw how challenging life can be

if you respond to a challenge with a challenge


the warrior had yet to realize

he had become hooked on competition

which is just war with rules

and rules are not natural

they are psychological defenses

which the law givers enforce with hired guns and attorneys

with the help of politicians who require the rest of us to pay for all this abuse


and on the story goes