Anthem for Tomorrow’s Child

The AIM Network

1 year ago

By Roger Chao

Anthem for Tomorrow’s Child

Dear child of mine, a seed of wonder’s womb,

In verses dressed, I pen for you a creed.

This humble anthem, destined to bloom,

Shall guide your course when wisdom you shall need.

When life presents you paths of thorns and gold,

Look past the shine, and search the rose’s heart,

For often times, the glitter we behold,

Veils but the truth, which tears all gleam apart.

A virtue carved from marble’s patient strife,

Is perseverance dressed in time’s array.

Persist, my child, through every slice of life,

For darkness serves to mold the coming day.

Your journey’s length may test your spirit’s mettle,

But trust the strength of your resilient heart.

With self-belief, the universe will settle,

And every challenge shall become your art.

Yet keep in mind, the virtue of integrity,

An attribute both rare and very fine.

Truth is the soul of genuine nobility,

It lights your path when shadows intertwine.

Walk in the shoes of others, seek to see,

A perspective broader than a gaze devout.

For understanding blossoms like a tree,

When we sow seeds of empathy, they sprout.

Hold your composure, my beloved daughter,

When tempests rage and gnaw at your heart’s door.

Let tranquility be your sacred water,

You’ll stand unbroken, stronger than before.

Accept responsibility for each action,

Know that your deeds are echoes in life’s hall.

Through ripples, they bear truth and satisfaction,

You are the author of your own life’s scrawl.

Stumble, you will, on life’s uneven trail,

Yet failure is but knowledge in disguise.

Each falter is a ship set to sail,

On seas of learning, ‘neath the wisest skies.

Know the virtue of humility’s grace,

It’s a subtle power, the heart’s quiet song.

True confidence speaks softly, face to face,

While arrogance shouts loudly, and often wrong.

With courage, approach life’s lofty climb,

Yet tether your aspirations with a line.

Success and failure, both teachers of time,

To each, pay respect, in their hands, you’ll shine.

In the theatre of emotions, take your place,

Control the strings, let not the puppet sway.

Your feelings are the paints for your life’s space,

Don’t let them bleed to muddle your pathway.

And when the world bears down with furious weight,

Remember, my child, the virtue of forgiving.

Anger is a fickle, fleeting mate,

Forgiveness is the essence of living.

While these words seem long, and can feel like teething,

Keep in your heart this enduring fact:

The virtues that we strive to keep breathing,

In day to day, are the hardest to enact.

Still, strive, my child, for a life well-lived,

Is not the sum of what we gain or lose.

It’s the wisdom earned, the love we’ve given,

The virtues embraced, in every path we choose.

So hold these words as a gentle light,

That guides you through life’s intricate dance.

With patience, perseverance, strength and might,

You’ll embrace life’s complex, beautiful chance.

In this poem of life, long and winding,

With layers of meaning, deep and vast.

I gift to you, this humble binding,

Of wisdom whispered from the past.

Remember, my child, as you tread life’s road,

You’re the author of your own verse, my dear.

Paint your life with virtues clear and bestowed,

And you shall dance with wisdom, free of fear.

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Roger Chao is a writer based in the beautiful Dandenong Ranges, where the forest and local community inspire his writings. Passionate about social justice, Roger strives to use his writing to engage audiences to think critically about the role they can play in making a difference.