An ending and a beginning
The past you leave behind
The final steps before you
And the courage you must find
Metal forged in fire
And hammered to a blade
Cooled and finely finished
To make the final grade
A last symbolic struggle
This time done as a team
Joining at last together
With those who share the dream
These are the final moments
Only a few have seen
Embracing the tradition
In making a Marine
About the Poem The Crucible
The poem The Crucible is about the making of a Marine. In basic training, it is a final 52-hour test when recruits are put to a final test before being called Marines. We have been following one young man’s journey to reach this point for a couple of years. Let’s just say he was a challenging teenager for his parents. A lot of discussion went into his choice for more than a year before starting the recruiting paperwork. This week, he will finish his basic training and go to his next advanced school. It’s been a fun transition to watch from the sidelines, and a bit of a trip down memory lane. As an officer, my version of basic was a country club by comparison, but it was still fun to tag along for the ride. Being that this week is Veterans Day, it seemed doubly appropriate to share this poem.
Poetry Books
Here are some of the books that are available from Robert Longley. I would recommend the Sacred Poem journals. Reading my earlier books (especially the ones for Military, Police and Firefighter’s families) cover to cover can be overwhelming. The poetry journals are designed to give you one poem per day while you journal about what might be going on in your life. There are specific journals for grief, success, and more.
Get inspirational poetry books by Robert Longley Here.
Inspirational Poetry Products
While I do signed poetry prints that are 11×14, that isn’t the size or product that all people want. Some just want a sympathy card, others may want a large canvas print, or maybe a coffee cup. There are limits to what I can customize with the options available so some products just don’t work. Please just ignore them, I know that that format doesn’t work. If you are looking for something specific, or would like to make something specific just let me know. I’m open to just about anything.
Get inspirational poetry products by Robert Longley here.
