To fall apart in unabated freedom
To sink slowly into callous sewers
To unsteady oneself.

The sea seeks solitude amidst the driving force of rain and no where is safe
The most vulnerable communities will suffer the most
Devastation builds on devastation.

And we steal blocks from others to steady our relatively stable foundations
Everything is precarious, but we are filled with fortune
The fortune in my mother’s eyes
I’ve never heard her speak of fear until now,

She, the strength of countless armies
She, the pillar that steadies me
She, is frightened.

To choose between your family and your life vocation,
your morality and your sense of self-safety -
It isn’t a decision that you should have to make

You have already had to mark time with so many difficult decisions
You have already answered enough questions

The light dances outside my window as if nothing has changed. Yet everything is different now.