Battle, Time and Location:
January 30, 2008; approximately 3:05 pm; Elizabeth, Colorado
Description:
Birthed in mild weather, the day was hastily conquered by cloud and snow
Frozen water fell upon the earth, saturating the air with bitter frost and ice
Staring out through the glass window
I face my enemy
The approaching battle drawing near
This is war
And I shall be the victor
My body nearly naked, my coat lies thrown on the floor,
My shoes untouched in the corner, my pants tucked away
I grasp the doorhandle, flinging open the gate to battle
As the door opens, Conflict unsheathes its steel blade
The frosted wind seeping into the exposed room
The iced air stinging my lungs, pricking at my bare skin
My mind anticipating the cold, the pain, the numbness
Bracing the shield of Askesis,
I boldly stride out
Onto the battlefield
The snow claws at my body, the wind tears at my skin
Conflict makes its first blows
And still I stand strong
The second wave of attack commences
The ice on the ground sucking the warmth from my feet,
Numbing them to the point they can’t even feel pain anymore
The sheer chill of the wind forcing my eyes to water in pain
The shivering cold seeping through my body, penetrating it to the core
And I am not broken
I am resilient, I am disciplined
Halfway through the battle,
Conflict begins to realize the futility of its blows
The strikes of its sword against my body
Cannot break my iron will
Crafted in the fire of Askesis
Through Askesis,
The cold only makes me stronger
The wind only makes me harder
Conflict, seeking to exterminate my life
Has only served to strengthen it
To make me stronger
The end of the battle draws near
And Conflict retreats in utter defeat
I am VICTORIOUS
I am the conflict ascetic
Too powerful and disciplined to be broken
Through the art of Askesis, Conflict’s arsenal
Of deadly weaponry,
Is transformed and cultivated into a blazing forge
A forge of power
A fire of actualization
A source of the elements to craft
An actualized being the universe has never before seen
The Conflict Ascetic
…
From The Arena of Askesis