A Symbol in Steel

We walked across the frozen ground in February, to face what we must face
We could erase nothing, of course, and naming meant embracing

We would not doom ourselves to die alive
We would face it, and all our fear, and hope to thrive, but felt the truth:

That all courage is a death and a departure,
And as we walked to tell them that we could not accept their offer but would instead sail our little bark, through the cliffs, through the dark, and hope for brighter sails ahead, a steel hoop on the vacant halyard clanged against the flagpole, in the heartless wind

It struck ruthlessly, as if to strike our exposed fingers, heeding no call to silence, transcending the trees and the sound of any other thing

A reminder that some things do not bow down, and
A promise, clarion
That some convictions must rise above what others say makes sense

That our inner knowing mustn't be betrayed
Before the grave