Stand up for yourself

When faced with a problem, our reaction is key,

Our emotions take over, when we disagree,

We often withdraw, faced with hostility,

It’s a delicate balance, of our fragility,

The world can feel, filled with aggression and spite,

But sometimes we need, to stand up and fight,

Some shun confrontation, and may be justified,

But conflict delayed, is conflict multiplied,

Unless we want, to spend our lives in pain,

Sometimes you just need, to dance in the rain,

For if you are faced, with a decision to make,

Deal with that problem, now for your sake,

Or else you relive, all that suffering and woe,

For days or weeks, it will continue to show,

How many times, have you relived a discussion?

The thoughts whirl around, causing you disruption,

Time that you waste, wishing you had stood firm,

When Injustice was clearly, raising alarm,

Be strong in conviction, and keep your principle,

Not to stand up for the right cause, is unthinkable,

One day you’ll look back, wish a stand you had made,

Sometimes it is courage, that should be displayed,

So stand up for yourself, in the face of abuse,

To back down or accept, that moment refuse,

Our life often comes, down to the moments we choose,

In the end it doesn’t matter, whether you win or lose,

How we deal with a problem, simply has to be,

Our priority in acting, so we can always free.

— Alan Firmin