August 1991

To Princess,

What do a warrior and a coward have in common? Nothing.
A warrior never says die.
He may go through, over, under, or around an obstacle -- but he never retreats with the purpose of escape.
A warrior does know fear, yet he uses this fear to fuel the confrontation --he will not compromise with the opposition.
A warrior is willing to sacrifice, even till death, his own self in order to further the cause of his beliefs.
A warrior is in may ways like a eunuch, sacrificing personal pleasure in order to dedicate himself to the completion of his faith.
A warrior also mirrors the eunuch by sacrificing intimacy; because intimacy means vulnerability, and vulnerability means the broken warrior.
for this reason, a warrior may have love for mankind, but he shuns romance.
Romance necessitates hanging up the shield and the sword:
It is selfish in focusing all of one’s attention towards the wants and needs of one individual.
Romance is accomplished at the exclusion of society, and causes those involved to see each other as idols.
Ironically, being a warrior and being a lover have much in common:
Both pursuits require exclusive devotion.
Each pursuit says, “Never say die,” fears no opposition, and requires making personal sacrifice.
And so the warrior realizing this must respect the intimacy of romance and seek to find its rewards.
Perhaps it is an avenue of learning about mankind, rather than a selfish isolation by two individuals.
Perhaps each sees the other, not as an idol, but a mortal --
a person with short-comings willing to overcome them for the love of the other.
Perhaps there is a place in romance for the broken warrior.

Your devoted broken warrior,
Papo