The road is littered with the scattered leaves
and I can feel the ice of winter thieves.
They want my heart—the ember of the dawn.
I stare into the face of death, and march on.
And with each forward push my steps invite
all the downtrodden to join the fight.
No fiends, with all the minions that they claim
will ever extinguish the morning flame.
By God's design the light will never die.
A faithful heart will always fill the sky
with hope, then spread—the fire of the dawn.
So raise a fist in victory, and march on.
-Tony Lightning, 2024
