The following is a poem I commissioned on KickStarter by Thom Ingram.
I asked him to write a poem about a young athlete who has to persevere daily, to overcome adversity and find his place in the world.
This
A secret for the world son, there is none.
And daughter, the fodder we have fed you on.
I know, told each day, by action, by situation,
your life is worth less. Blessed I feel
to sit beside you. Future president,
present champion. To tell you a secret.
There is none, but getting up and running.
One foot, one step. Working harder than the rest.
Show up early. Stay late. Keep the streets
and the apathy at bay. The easy and the quick
are thick lies that will tease you to sit. Stand
again (and again). One foot, one hand. One inch
at a time. I give you a word. Mine. That this
is a moment you and I can’t let pass by, or miss.