A chivalrous champion with aplomb,
Protects his dependents and brings calm,
Admired by the masses and feared by his foes,
Yet inside him a demon grows.
·
From outside he appears as stout as a tree,
With a sword in hand he roams free,
Yet inside him emotions run wild,
His savage mind is riled.
·
He conquered all that is to be gained,
His name and exploits never waned,
In wealth he reveled and wallowed in fame,
He held up the stars with his sway
·
Though our hero’s legacy is fine,
It’s peppered with shows of anger and pride,
For even though he conquered the world,
He cared not to tame his capricious mind.
·
Though undefeated in the field,
Before his fickle mind he kneeled,
Though he had the world to himself,
Inside he remained devoid of wealth.
·
To face oneself takes strength of mind
And to accept one’s faults and flaws of kinds,
The true enemy is within,
The greatest hero can look inside.
Originally published in KidSpirit Online for The Heroic Spirit issue.
Nimai Agarwal wrote this poem when he was in 8th grade and living in Maryland. Nimai has been practicing Vaishnavism, a monotheistic tradition within Hinduism, since his childhood and enjoys sketching, painting, playing the flute, and writing.
Artwork by Nimai Agarwal, created when was 16 years old.