Charles Gregory, Author

Sometimes our battles
aren’t intended to be won.
Instead, they forge us

for greater struggles,
in a ballad not yet sung,
written by forces

beyond our own will—
divine, demonic, or fate—
we do not yet know.

In the present tense,
the truth chooses to be veiled,
but time will reveal.

Stand inside the flame.
Let it temper, not destroy.
You are being forged.

There is more at stake
than you could begin to know:
you—and what’s to come.

Victory takes time.
Great blessings come with battles
for those who endure.

Note on Kenma (研磨)

Kenma means “to polish” or “refine”—usually in the context of sharpening a blade. But to me, it’s about what struggle does to us beneath the surface. The pressure, the heat, the resistance—it doesn’t just wear us down. It sharpens us.

This poem isn’t about winning every fight. It’s about being shaped by them. Some battles exist not to be conquered, but to prepare us for what’s still ahead. That refining process is painful, but it has purpose.

You may not see the edge forming yet. But you’re being made ready.