Recently, I have been interested in learning more about the life and career of Ronald Reagan. He was a political outsider who came into office as the United States was reeling from the consequences of bad policy under Jimmy Carter. As I was reading through some of his famous speeches and quotes, one line in particular struck me with a chord of inspiration.
“When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” – Ronald Reagan
This haiku series starts with a contemplation on the exponential impact we can have on the world by being a positive influence on a even a single person, as that single person will then go out to have a positive impact on several others in their life, and so on and so forth. Then, the series transitions into the futility of trying to reach those lost souls who do not want to be found and have fully embraced the darkness in their hearts. Fighting them directly may be exactly what the want and lead one to fall into their trap. For the sake of our descendants and the world they will inherit, we must be strong enough to withstand the attacks of the wicked until they are weakened from their own fatigue. At that moment, when they have made themselves vulnerable, we strike with speed and precision to end the strife once and for all, restoring peace to our lives.
Righteous Fire
He who saves one life
Saves a thousand hopeless souls
And changes the world
Yet not all will come
They who choose not to be saved
Loathing those who do
Clawing at our backs
Craven souls whose hearts set still
Gnawing at our souls
We must be a shield
Too strong for malice to break
Wearing down their ire
Protecting the light
Standing firm against shadow
Never giving in
And when our time comes
We cease the moment of truth
Stirking out with flame
When they see not light
Darkness fills their empty eyes
Let them feel the heat
Righteous fire burns hot
And blinds the creature of night
Dawning a new day
All posts by The Pen and Sword are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Pensive Warrior 
One thought on “Righteous Fire: A Haiku Series”