One hand clings dependently <br />to his cane. The other clutches desperately <br />to his overcoat; his shield from the unforgiving elements. <br />His bleak defence weakens <br />with every blow, <br />his stronghold penetrated <br />with every lash. <br />His assailants are relentless. <br />An iron first crushes his frail being, <br />an onslaught of acid dissolves the spirit of a man once strong <br />now shaken. <br />Beaten? <br />Fragility in a ferocious world, <br />A tiny shard amidst the debris. <br />Yet he stands.<br /><br />Dylan Sharkey<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/yet-he-stands/
