These Things That You Think Are Precious to None

A Poem

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’

—Mary Anne Radmacher

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These things that you think are precious to none
hold up the sky and light up the sun.
Simple in scope, immense in their span,
these are the things that make you a man.
They guide and they guard, they help and they lead—
stripped of their song, you’re a throat with no reed.

For life isn’t made in the trumpet and drum,
but in quiet conclusions we carry and hum.
In pebbles of thought you pocket each day,
in small private prayers that keep dark at bay.

A stance that says onward when hell is so near,
the will not to buckle, the choice not to fear.
The mercy you practice before you feel right,
the habits you keep that beat back self-spite.

The sentence you whisper—I’ll try this again—
the vow you renew when you’re worn down and thin.
The patience you spend on a slow-growing seed,
the courage to race when you don’t have the speed.

These are the threads that no one can see,
that stitch up your days into you—into me.
A thousand small yeses, a clean, silent no,
lend shape to your journey, give you someplace to go.

So don’t curse the small things as weak or as few;
they’re the true weight of living, the fabric of you.
Guard them. Mend them. Let them be near—
for the tiniest thoughts grow a very big year.

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Per my about page, White Noise is a work of experimentation. I view it as a sort of thinking aloud, a stress testing of my nascent ideas. Through it, I hope to sharpen my opinions against the whetstone of other people’s feedback, commentary, and input.

If you want to discuss any of the ideas or musings mentioned above or have any books, papers, or links that you think would be interesting to share in a future edition of White Noise, please reach out to me by replying to this email or following me on X.

With sincere gratitude,

Tom