More Than a Body

My eyes don’t recognize the figure before me. Skin and bones destroyed by disease contrast the image Of a strong man in my past. Hard worker he always was. Farming the land With strength and care. A body doesn’t make him a man, though. The meaning of man is Much more than a body. The man is the brave achiever, Sacrificing everything for those he loves. The man is the loyal son, Forever brother, Loving husband, Providing father. His disappearing muscles, And strengthless hands Cannot define the man. The man is not in the body. The man is the one who lives life. When the breath is gone, And his body no longer strong, I can say even then, “He was always the strong man,” Even in the end.