The Last Man Standing

The last one standing.
The first one took sainthood with him.
The second one endured.
The third one toiled
and did what he had to do.
The fourth said a prayer each day
until there were no more to say.
The last one standing had grown a future,
had projects that needed building,
others to attend to,
mistakes to be corrected,
and hope to grow in orchards
he had planted,
to be done, what must be done.
The last man standing stood,
with no fate but his own,
for choosing.