Machismo - A poem by J.A. McCormick

Image by Carabo Spain from Pixabay ​

It takes no machismo
To be a skeptic.
It's little more than nothing 
To disbelieve.
Would you be strong?
Would you stand upon the mountain
And sing the triumph song?
Then believe!

Show me one with faith
And I will show you
A thousand sheep
So weak
That they cannot be bothered
By conviction
Till it's nipping 
At their heels
With proofs so terrifying
As to drain the life 
From their already 
Dead corpses.

So, Why not believe?
Why not be the victor
And wear the crown of the mighty?
It's reserved you know
For only those
Whose sureness 
Stands the test of fire.

But we are weak
You say.
True.
So why not start today?
Build brick by brick
The tower.
There is no other way
To better tomorrows
Than through
The dark and mournful fictions
Of today.
So, don't give up
On what you cannot see.
Believe!

And when the sun
Pokes its head out
Between the clouds,
And warms you with the truth
You could not see,
Grasp it!
Hold it close!
And do not let it go!
It is the assurance
Of sunshine yet to be.
And that man
Who hordes such proofs will find
His hope, though hidden deep within
Will one day set him free.