The fire did not burn you down.
Though it arrived without warning—
swift, unrelenting,
devouring the edges of what once seemed enduring—
still, you remained.
Not untouched.
Not inviolate.
But whole, in a way the flames could never unmake.
You did not vanish beneath the ruin.
You were refined within it.
You were never asked to be unyielding—
never summoned to rise without faltering,
nor to walk unshaken across uncertain ground.
Only to breathe—
gently, if unevenly—
when breath felt more like a burden than a gift.
Only to place one foot before the other,
not with assurance,
but with the quiet resolve
of one who continues
simply because they must.
By Markie Doczi | Featured Contributor
Love and compassion, sorrow and strife
An uneven rhythm, this opus called life
Fate she is fickle, one day you’re stuck
And the next you may have a stroke of good luck
By Sharon Jeremiah Anuye | Featured Contributor
Sunlight blinding my sight
Skin glowing like diamonds
The trees swaying side to side
With the cool breeze blowing
Thinking out loud about
Where I was before.
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