Close it, empty it, hide it away
and stay, dear chosen one.
It’s not yet time to go. Don’t give in
to the cries. Just breathe. Stay alive
and fight to speak life

to brighten the night
with your words of truth
and spread the light of your suffering
into the darkest of trenches.

The ones you do not yet know
are counting on your journey
through the furnace.

If you must torch something,
torch the lies into the storm
and spark the will of your survival.

If you give into the night
and extinguish the fire
of your voice, the flames it holds
will go silent into ashes

and the devils will still be here
to dance in your smoke
and tell your story.