Narrative Essay prompt: An animal in captivity.
Goal: To evoke emotion.
The lion reminds me of myself. A soldier turned veteran, carrying the scars of past events. The marks contouring his face don't sway him of his pride. He walks among his kin, head raised and focused. His eyes are stark, not bleak but shining with spirit. Although his roar sounds muffled, deep within his chest there's a storm brewing. I could see it all. In the way, he walks, in the way he is treated.
As a businesswoman, it took me some time to walk with such assurance in the hallways of my company. As a businesswoman, it took me some time to gain respect from others and have respect for myself. I was a cub in a lion's den. A pushover for illicit prospects, a man to step on. I noticed while watching this lion, below his mane was a tiny cub. I smiled. That cub was as innocent as the age of gold. His father protected him, shaded him like a shepherd. I thought back to my own father. How his sacrifices have led to my success.
And soon enough, I realized. The real veteran is my father. I am merely the offspring of his war. A type of victory that could bring a mercenary to tears. The accomplishment of being a great father. One baring wounds so strident, walking seemed impossible. And yet, he stood the way a tree would in the face of a storm. Rooted and unswayed, just like that lion. The more I analyzed him the more his eyes revealed to me his secrets. There was a deep-seethed emotion holding him together, to not only stand before his pride but to stand before his son.
And that lion thought me a marvelous lesson on pain and strife. That the pain is worthwhile if there is something worth fighting for. I called my dad, to only stutter. The inability to describe the gratitude filling my chest was frustrating. I remained on the phone hoping my silence could speak to him in a way my words never could.