Face to face with fate,
I turned, but much too late.
My beneficial bruising
Seemed at the time like losing.
But much good would come of it.
I learned, in fact, to love it.
On everyone life leaves its marks.
Some suffer gnats and others sharks.
And my unique disfiguration
Stemmed from distrust in my nation.
Branded by a fear of power,
I grew weaker by the hour.
Death presented options often.
Ride it out inside a coffin.
Then one day I felt much stronger.
Seemed the scars were there no longer.
Peace was made with all mankind.
Bruising’s healed within the mind.