Brother you walk a dusty trail,
On either side snared by thorns.
Brother you walk a fiery trail,
The sun beats down upon your head.
Brother you walk a lonely trail,
With no one in sight ahead of you.
But Brother remember, remember these things:
You have your boots, which oppose those thorns.
You have your hat, which blocks those rays.
But above all else, that which protects your way
Are the ones behind you, we who will defend you.
We who will always be there to run, to fight,
To love you forever, always near to your sight.
You can cross this ravine.
You can climb this mountain.
You can thwart this day of suffering and pain.
You can look up to the stars and find the truth,
The truth that has always been there, waiting for you.
You can meet this challenge with determination of mind.
You can conquer the end with a power untold.
You can hail the dawn with a purity of angels.
Because, you have felt more than any of us can imagine,
And you have walked further than we can fathom,
And you have seen deeper down into the valley of death.
Yet in the end you arose, cleaner and wiser.
So I praise you for that, your labor, your hardship.
And I love you for you, my steadfast Brother.