Coward (poem) Mixed Media

Illustration of my poem “coward”

Passive and pleading
Please don’t hurt me
Left on the floor bleeding
A greater loss you can’t see

Push back into the crowd
Push my friends forward
As far away from loud
Face pale and morbid

Aline the guilt wraps it’s arms
At least I survived
Left with irreparable harm
I think today I died

A coward dies a thousand deaths
A soldier dies just once
I’ve lived a thousand lives
Now one more and I’m done

I took the beatings
I took the jokes
From children
From grown folk

I decided today
Forget tomorrow
All comers will pay
No more sorrow