A Tribute To The Way I Was Raised Poem by Mustafa Marconi

It is the grit that inspires me
The leather in my gruff exterior
A bi-product of where I come from
A tribute to the way I was raised
Every problem is a challenge
A test to strengthen the spirit and mind
There are no mountains too daunting to climb
For every obstacle is but a mere reason to dream
No need to be preoccupied
With the ever changing daily pressures of living
Overloading our senses with fear, apprehensions, and self doubt
Disrupting the natural beautiful rhythms of life
One unproductive beat at a time
Unable to assist me at any level
I discard them as solutions
For stress and worry have never served as a viable alternative
To peace and meditation
So I stand firm and confident
Eager to embrace all challenges
Ready to creatively solve every riddle
Every puzzle and every impediment
For there are no mountains to impossible to climb
Every obstacle is just a challenge
And every disappointing setback
Is just another reason to dream
Never accepting defeat
Or shunning my responsibilities
I am an army of one
Ready to wage battle and fight the good fight
Until I can no longer effectively, bring about change
It is ultimately, what makes me…………. ME
It is the grit that so perfectly defines me
The hard leather in my otherwise calm demeanor
It is the fire that burns so passionately
In the deepest recesses of my soul
It is a bi-product of where I come from
To stand like a man
When the weight of the world
Buckles the foundation below me
A tribute to my Mother and Father
And the way that I was ultimately raised