Dignity, Undenied September 25, 2009

What can a man do
To salvage his dignity?
Is his belief in the Holy Trinity
Enough?
No
It is a start
But dignity comes from the heart
And the soul
Respect of self
Of all life
Despisal of strife
These make a man whole
Love of knowledge
Love of health
Love itself
These noble ends
Can stop a man
From descending
Into personal hell
A neighborhood I know well

What good does hatred do?
I could let it consume me
I could become
The antithesis of dignity
Easily
Sit in my chair
Spewing vitriol
Rejecting all
Of everything I know
To be true

I have seen this done
Untold times
Millions of little crimes
Claiming lives
Personal slavery
The illusion of being free
Paying homage to decadence
Seeking satisfaction
In scenes of violence
Fantasizing of triumphs unfulfilled
Wallowing in the communal
Pool of blood spilled
The universal satisfaction
Of the lowest common denominator
The ultimate distraction
Of the seductive annihilator

I look at these pathetic men
And I say never again
I’ve tried
To mask my self contempt
With misplaced pride
I’ve felt
The sense of emptiness
As my besieged soul died
And I survived
I saw the light
And I tore myself down
Until I felt the night recede
I built a spiritual pedestal
And I stand upon it
Determined to succeed
With a dignity
No one will deny
And I shall stay that way
Until the day I die