We’re off to battle.

We’ll bring no armor
No sword to defend
No shield to protect
No comrade on whom we can depend
No strategy-only utter neglect
Powerless.

We’re off to battle.

We’ll fight this war
Freedom masking slavery
Poverty masked with wealth
Cowardice masked with bravery
Sickness masked with health

We’ll fight this war
Confident-yet so naive
We’ll face this foe
With no reprieve
If ever should our trusty plan
Fail, and leave us
Powerless.

We’re off to battle.

Shall we leave our swords behind?
Forget the lives our shields protect?
Reject our comrades sure that time
Will prove how harmless our neglect?

We’re off to battle.

The war will be waged, the battle fought
Whether we march prepared or not
The enemy thrives on his complacent foes
And how he’ll attack, nobody knows

How, where, and when he’ll attack
Nobody knows but he
But, if he knows our weakness he
Can be assured of victory

We’re off to battle.

Every day we make a choice
To march determined or gently stroll
To cry out, “Surrender!” or with silenced voice
Wait for the fighting to take its toll

We’re off to battle.

Our choice does not decide the start
Of this great war for it has already begun
And every day we fight in a battle
Oftentimes, not even knowing who’s won

Our choice does not affect the pow’r
Of the enemy’s large, mighty forces but how
Those forces will stand up against our own
If we have the support of the King on his throne

Our choice cannot rewrite the damage that’s done
It can’t stop the battle already begun
But, the one thing our choice can accomplish, the ONE…
At the end it assures us THE WAR HAS BEEN WON!

So, now, we’re off to battle.

We’ll choose to prepare for the fight as we should
Bring our swords,our shields,our comrades and God’s will as the plan
That choice will determine our victory and…
No matter how mighty, that devil won’t stand!

Joseph Koltz!!! Congratulations, Joseph! Joseph scored 80% in the Beyond These Words Poetry/Songwriting Contest based on these 5 categories: style, word choice, impact, relevance, and creativity. His winning poem is displayed below.

What’s that to you, you follow me. (John 21) by Joseph Koltz

They have gifts, what’s that to you

They have opportunity, what’s that to you

They have never had it hard, what’s that to you

They don’t have this cross to bear, what’s that to you

They haven’t gone through what I have, what’s that to you

They don’t have to die like this, what’s that to you

I didn’t call you for your gifts, I gave them to you

I didn’t wake you for your opportunities, I gave them to you

I didn’t take away the hard times, I gave them to you

I know the cross you have to bear, I gave it to you

I know what you have gone through, I have gone with you

I know how you will die, I appointed it for you

What’s that to you, you follow me.

In this alone will you bring me Glory.