I

Emerge

Alive

Unscathed

Joyful

You ask me

The world as we know it

Gone

Survival of few

You say

I

Swim

I know

I

Fight

Keep my head from lapping waves

I

Emerge

Alive

Unscathed

Joyful

I

Love

I

Give

I

Love

I

Talk.

I know

 You

Love

Quiet

Stoic

Patient

Determinant

Definitive

Black and white

Yes and no

You

Clean wounds

You

Heal

AND

You

Feed yourself medicines

Drug you

Numb you

Keep you from your needs

Those needs

above food

above Water

above Shelter

above Legal Justice

what about emotional justice?

what about your heart?

Those needs

they

 die

You

lie in waiting

in

you

they live

silent

kept silent

locked
you keep them silent

"Sink or Swim" by Bailey Leuschen.