A litany for survival

For those of us who live at the shoreline / standing upon the constant edges of decision / crucial and alone / for those of us who cannot indulge / the passing dreams of choice / who love in doorways coming and going / in the hours between dawns / looking inward and outward / at once before and after / seeking a now that can breed / futures / like bread in our children's mouths / so their dreams will not reflect / the death of ours: / For those of us / who were imprinted with fear / like a faint line in the center of / our foreheads / learning to be afraid with our mother's milk / for by this weapon / this illusion of some safety to be found / the heavy-footed hoped to silence us / For all of us / this instant and this triumph / We were never meant to survive. / And when the sun rises / we are afraid / it might not remain / when the sun sets we are afraid / it might not rise in the morning / when our stomachs are full we are afraid / of indigestion / when our stomachs are empty we are afraid / we may never eat again / when we are loved we are afraid / love / will vanish / when we are alone we are afraid / love will never return / and when we speak we are afraid / our words will not be heard / nor welcomed / but when we are silent / we are still afraid / So it is better to speak / remembering / we were never meant to survive