Modjadji Writer

The Unarmored Warrior

If my offspring asks, how was daddy,
Tell them I was a soldier who marched into storms barefoot,
A man who wore courage like borrowed skin,
Who went to combat without armor
Yet stood like a mountain arguing with thunder.

Tell them I fought a very good fight,
Even when fear whispered like a traitor in my ear,
Even when the night stretched long like a road with no end.
I wrestled shadows that had no faces,
And still, I rose again and again like the stubborn sun.

Say I was fire dressed as flesh,
Burning quietly while the world felt warm,
A river that carved its path through stone,
Soft in sound, yet fierce in purpose.

Let them know the enemy was not always a man,
Sometimes it was hunger, wearing a crown of silence,
Sometimes it was doubt, sharp as a serpent’s tongue,
Sometimes it was life itself
Laughing ironically while handing me battles instead of bread.

Tell them I wore pain like a hidden medal,
Smiling as if joy lived in my pocket,
While my heart bled poetry no one could hear.
I was both the wound and the healer,
Both the storm and the shelter beneath it.

If they ask if I ever fell,
Tell them I did like rain does
But I never forgot how to rise into the sky again.
And if they wonder what victory looked like,
Tell them it was not crowns or applause,
But surviving each day when surrender sounded sweeter.

Tell them their father was a paradox
A fragile blade that never broke,
A silent war cry wrapped in human skin,
A man who had nothing…
Yet gave everything.

I never imagined that I would be here,
Lying in a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling,
Listening to machines and silence at the same time.
Life has a way of forcing you to pause when you’ve been moving too fast,
Carrying too much, and ignoring the quiet cries of your own body.
Ulcers may sound like a small thing to some people,
But the pain…
The discomfort…
The sleepless nights…
It’s something I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
For a long time,
I kept going like everything was okay.
Smiling outside, while inside my body was slowly breaking down.
Stress, worries, overthinking, skipping meals, pushing through pain
I thought I was being strong. But now I realize…
Strength is also knowing when to rest,
When to stop, and when to take care of yourself.
Being here has humbled me.
It has made me reflect on life in a way I never did before.
When you’re lying here, you start to think about everything
The people you love, the things you’ve been through,
The battles you’ve fought silently,
And the ones you’re still fighting.
You realize how fragile life really is,
And how important your health is.
Because without it, everything else becomes meaningless.
The pain has been overwhelming at times,
But what has kept me going is the love I’ve received.
The messages, the calls, the prayers, the people checking up on me
It means more than I can ever put into words.
In moments like this, you see who truly cares,
Who stands with you even when you’re not at your best.
To anyone out there who is going through something silently
Please, don’t ignore your body.
Don’t ignore the signs.
Take care of yourself.
Rest when you need to.
Speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
Your health is not something to gamble with.
Right now, I’m taking it one day at a time.
Healing is not instant,
But I believe I’ll come out of this stronger,
Wiser, and more aware of myself.
This experience has changed me
It has taught me to slow down, to listen,
And to appreciate the simple gift of being okay.
Thank you to everyone who has been there for me,
Even in the smallest way.
Your kindness has been my strength during one of my weakest moments.
I’m not fully okay yet… but I’m getting there. And for now, that’s enough. ❤️

Melancholy...

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