It is a dance, not a war.



I have crushed men before.
Crushed as I have been crushed,
Taken as I have lost.
For such is the nature of being a man.

I have chosen steps forwards,
Knowing how far back I send the man whose place I take.
And, like you, I have lost to better men.
I am not at peace with either, yet I tread on as I must.

If it comes to pass that you find yourself under my boot,
Know that I am not sorry -
But I see you;
there, as I have been before.
Do not waiver.
Your time will come too.
For it is a dance, not a war.

About this poem

This poem describes the competitive nature of life, especially as a young man. How it can feel like whenever you win or succeed, somebody else has to lose and vice versa. It touches on the guilt we may feel when we try to succeed and thrive, but also attempts to console you and let you know that it’s okay to try - because now it’s your turn to win. “It is a dance, not a war.” implies that we are aware that our success may mean another man’s failure, but we can’t let that dishearten us. Nor shall we be disheartened when another man wins. We’ll simply continue to dance, free from guilt and remorse, because we can’t all drown. 

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Submitted by loganwingate on December 14, 2023

37 sec read
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Quick analysis:

Scheme AXXX XXXX XXBAXBA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 506
Words 125
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 7

Logan Wingate

Logan is a builder by trade and has been exploring poetry for just shy of a year. He found his love for it amidst a terrible breakup, and has since written several poems from somber and melancholic to inspiring and introspective. His vocation being such a stereotypically masculine field, he frequently finds himself exploring themes of masculinity, both challenging it and dissecting it in an effort to expose the beauty within it. more…

All Logan Wingate poems | Logan Wingate Books

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    "It is a dance, not a war." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/177902/it-is-a-dance,-not-a-war.>.

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