...

(The Art of Realizing)

When he first finds himself

Standing in front of the doors

That will lead him

To the rest of his life

He'd be lying if he said

He wasn't a little scared

.

Seastone walls

Stretch out

Like giant arms

To hug the fortress

Windows, like eyes,

Peer down at him

And the giant gate

Is almost a mouth

Posing a question

'Are you worthy?'

.

He's dreamed of this

Since he was a child

Open seas

And justice

His dad would always talk about

How great marines were

Fighting for the right thing

And all that

.

He's tried hard

And done well enough

When he was younger,

He dreamed of being the hero

You know,

The knight in shining armor

(Or a white coat)

Sweeping in

To save the day

And knock out the bad guys

With one punch

(His dad never told him

That heroes

Are often born

With so much strength

They're monsters)

.

He's guided to a small, boxy room

Not bad,

But nothing like home

His dad never told him about this bit

Either

People talk about Admirals

Like they're gods

He wants to say

There's no way they're that strong

They are only human, after all

(It's not until his first trip to sea

With one of the Admirals on board

As he watches the man

Freezes an entire fleet of pirate ships solid

With just a wave of his hand

That he decides they aren't gods

But they are most certainly

Not human)

.

He's always had

A deep-seated dislike of pirates

His father told him stories

Of atrocities

That happened in the age

Of the last King

Like any kid, he wanted

The bad guys to lose

And the good guys

To come out on top

.

It's not until his twentieth trip

Out to sea

That he realizes

Perhaps the world

Isn't so black and white

('Cause looking at this kid

He looks like a big grey area

Dressed in a red shirt

Blue shorts

And a yellow straw hat)

.

Mostly, marine life

Is pretty boring

But the exciting times

Are what worries him

During one such time

He's gripping his gun so tight

He thinks it might snap

The smoke is killing his lungs

And he'd be surprised

If he wakes up tomorrow

The town is crushed

The people are mostly dead

The man who slept a few bunks down

Is gaping at him

With sightless eyes

There's a child

Bleeding out in his arms

Who hasn't even twitched in the last hour

And the corpses

Seem to open their mouths as he passes

And ask

'Are you worthy?'

.

His head is light from smoke,

And he's oh so very tired

He'd be lying if he said

He wasn't a little grateful

When his legs give out

His father never mentioned this part

And as the flames rise around him

He waves his hand

But no ice comes forth

To freeze the tongues of fire

That ask

'Are you worthy?'

.

He is not a pirate

He is not a monster

He's just a little kid

With a blanket tied around his neck

And an imaginary foe

Who falls at his cardboard blade

Because the good guys always win

'Are you worthy?'

.

'No.'