A Guiding presence

He sauntered into the room, head held high, exuding might
His gaze swept the room
His aura was palpable
So strong, exuding so much power

Oddly enough, his presence evoked a soothing calm
That is what people feel when they don't feel like they are under your control
Fear is natural, his motto he would say
The feeling to withdraw when things go wrong
The thought that you would be judged
All those things were embedded in a person's core

Fail a thousand times, Lose a million times
Attempt is better than neglect
Right and wrong he knew them all
The ways of the world were crystal clear
His failures had many lessons
But he seemed to learn from each one

A man who could walk the walk
But spoke not much
Yet, his silence spoke volumes to me
I was hopeful
His confidence I began to possess
Chin up, shoulders straight
He said to walk
His patience I learned to obtain

Impulse actions I controlled
His resilience I understood
Fear gave away to determination
I worked all day and prayed
Wisdom weighed upon him
The struggle he faced is the reflection of his present
I aimed to match it
I strived for excellence

If my mentor was that perfect
Surely I would become second best
The seed I sowed all day would grow and flourish well
The joy I had when it did made my heart swell
Hard work comes with a test
Failing never appealed to me