"The Many Arts of War"

It lies evident in any thing that a man will undertake, Some form of art or skill without, Success he’ll never make. And such is true in the thing of war, If the thing of war be a man’s thing, That of physical, mental, and spiritual of heart Must be the art That to the battlefield he brings. Physical strength, Endurance of the elements, And persistence even through fatigue: Important aspects of the military portrait And forever objects of intrigue. And mind then, too, Must be all awares, If strategically Man plans to prevail. A faulty choice here, Lets a small enemy possess you And bring you down in his trail. The spirit and the heart, though seeming not so, Are doubly important than the former. If a man is not true to his goals down below, Then above, Where it counts, No real truth will amount. The heart acts with spirit, And the spirit with the heart, To guide a soldier in his line, It’s such things as this That great things depend on, Like leaving no man behind. And so further I’ll go with this spiritual business, For it’s what truly defines Man in his character– Things like keeping one’s sanity And digging through the shadows Are imperative to the soul, And so keep him from the gallows. And one last thing yet, For there is much color around– Many perspectives you’ll witness In even the most insensitive things found– That happiness can be found And pleasures can come forth In the saddest, The dreariest, The gloomiest things, For in battle, In speech, In personal dreams, There are many arts of war, So let the best of them ring.