One Man

Just one man
A world of horror and pain
And against it stood
Just one man
Alone, he stood and he saw
He watched as his people are persecuted
He watched as his family was cut down
He watched as babies where torn from their mothers
He watched as his sisters were forced to flee
He watched as husbands turned on their wives
As neighbors cheered as their supposed friends were killed
He watched as his brothers were hunted
Killed for who they were
Killed for where they were born
Killed for how they were born
He watched as his people accustomed themselves to death
He watched as they accepted their fate
He watched as the people
His people
Lost it all
He watched until he couldn't anymore
He cried and he grieved
And in that moment all he knew was fear
But he didn't let his fear consume him
He made it a driving force
Because something deep inside him clicked
Something older than time
The desire to protect his own
And it turned into anger
Anger at the system that condemned him
Anger at the people who inflicted pain to his people
And the anger sharpened into a steely resolve to make a change
And as he made his first move
The resolve and determination gave way to a greater emotion
A feeling he had long lost as the darkness grew
Hope
Where the anger against his oppressors was a scorching hot fire
Hope for a better future for his people was a blazing inferno
It dug its roots deep into his soul
And he dared to dream
He dreamed of a day where the meaningless bloodshed
The persecution and prejudice would end
He dreamed of a world where his children would walk without fear
He dreamed of a day when he would see the Sun rise
And know that he will not have to run or fight for his life today
Know that he is finally a free man
And with that in mind he fought harder than he ever had
He poured his mind, body, soul and being
All for that dream
He fought battle after battle
He drew closer and closer to victory
Until finally against all odds, he prevailed
And as he watched the damage done to his country
He remembers the anger he had felt
He remembered the nights he ran
The days he hid
The pain he endured
He remembered when he had hit rock bottom
And he prayed for a quick death
Where he contemplated suicide to end his suffering
He remembered his nights in hell
He remembered how he had wanted vengeance
But now as he held the power to get it in his hands
He remembered his dream
Had he been in this position in the beginning
He would have wanted retribution
But he was a changed man now
He was a man with a dream
He was a man with a vision
And he knew that revenge would only result in one thing
Turning him into what he fought so hard against
So he took all his emotions and drove them towards one goal
Unity, acceptance and forgiveness
A better day
And as he watched the newly widowed and the orphans
The gaping wound at the core of the nation
The tear in the fabric of society
He vowed
He vowed to never forget
To always remember the souls lost in the struggle for freedom
The innocent people killed for no reason
The sleepless nights and endless days
He vowed to commemorate the newest additions to Heaven
And he swore to never let their sacrifice be in vain
As time went on he stayed and watched
And he smiled as we healed our wounds and forgave
As we repaired and rebuilt ourselves from the ground up
And that man is the reason why today I stand tall in a calm world
Why I live in peace and sleep without fear
I was not there when he fought
But even now, I see glimpses of the shadow that loomed over him
And I see the courage that drove him although he suffered
He seemed invincible but even heroes can bleed
And he bled
But he kept going and for that I am forever thankful
To this day he watches over us and is ready
Should the need ever arise
He is ready to rain hell on whoever disturbs our peace
He will never again be silenced or bent
He will remain unbroken
Dire need will see him rise again and face what comes
He is eternal and by fire and sacrifice his victory will be won
Because this man I speak of is not of the flesh and blood
He is an idea, a seed inside you and me
He lives, he grows and he spreads
He is made stronger as we acknowledge each other as kin
Because the strongest bonds are forged through fire
And since we have walked our way through and out of Hell
We came out as one people
Linked by the blood of our ancestors that courses through our veins
And reinforced by the blood spilt by our heroes
One people hand in hand walking towards a better future
Where the fields are evergreen in our land of a thousand hills
Where we push boundaries and lead our country towards glory
Where we write our names in history books
Where we pave our path towards the top
And blissful laughter fills every home
As happiness and harmony reign once again