The Warrior

Live Your Life, by Chief Tecumseh

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death,

so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

The Warrior

I have known many a warrior in my time

My sister told me after she died, it is so sublime,

time is not the same here. I can visit family and friends

Time never ends!

Heaven, the ever-lasting happy place, and Valhalla even.

It is all a piece of heaven.

Valhalla, the hall of warriors. Does that mean she was one?

I believe this I do. She was full of wisdom, grace,

and a fighter her whole life. She won

some. It wasn't a race.

~

My family was full of soldiers; grandparents,

uncles, brothers, grands, and my parents.

All doing their part. All warriors.

My mother told me after she died

I am with God, pray for your siblings

I was crying and I felt better and still cried.

It is tough losing a warrior that got in the rings

for you. Support for me diminished when they

left.

~

So I need to pick up where they left off hey?

Support for others, getting in the ring, heft

when I can. Do whatever is put in my path.

Loving my life today, no matter whose wrath

A modern-day warrior will care for self, yes me

living a long life in service to others. The we

all benefits when the one is successful you see

Warriors are we, modern warriors to be.