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Modern Definitions
They tell you to
Man up, to be valiant as a knight,
But what is courage, you ask to deaf ears, for they
Have been possessed, like pit bulls,
By the nearest fight.
Is courage the weak-kneed hunter
Who trembles, sweat tainting his resolve, at the sight
Of the distant lion’s yawning maw; who lurks in the shadows and
Lets his spear rust, wallowing in cowardly relief when the bullet,
A detestable assassin, slays the king in all his might.
Is courage the mindless boy who seeks to please
His crazed comrades, and who’s blind to the plight
Of the squirming octopus he furiously chews,
The tentacles writhing in agony. And all of Seoul
Cheers his passing of this manhood rite.
Is courage the hateful, smirking fisherman
Who holds aloft a young great white
Blood slowly dripping onto wooden planks as he crows of his
Purging of humanity’s bane, not knowing this oceanic guardian
Kills less than humanity’s bite.
Is courage the contemptible men who snarl
At all ranks of society, persistently itching to fight,
Who bring curled fists instead of words because
Their hate cannot coexist with compassionate beings
And seeks only to destroy and set this world alight.
Courage has become the language
Of arrogant and idiotic fools, a blight
Upon the hovel to where Peace has been condemned;
Its pure essence that was once held
In the utmost reverence has fled into the night.
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It is up to us, the younger generation, to decide how we will shape the standards of society. I hope this piece sheds light on the full importance of this responsibility.