Badge of Honor

Humans put their faith in authority,

where a badge can signify safety.

But what about other badges?

A star on a person’s chest,

yellow in color and resting above the heart.

Serial numbers tattooed on their flesh.

Stripped of not only their freedom,

but also their names and families.

They share their hardships,

and every one of those hardships

becomes a badge of honor,

not only for the individual,

but for everyone around them.

It is a badge that will always survive

and get passed down through the generations.

It is this badge of honor

that keeps our ancestors’ stories alive.