we survived
This was a little bit more than I bargained for
Came out for the trip, staying became my calling card
You said true North and I trusted,
Love lost in woods, trek dendritic
I threatened collapse, you said
Just over there, one more hill
One more mile, one more minute
Until I fell in its sleeve, ghost town
Only concrete posts reaching out the ground
I saw it first and expressed it
Too young to comprehend
You explained its message
Racist and oppressive
“Dead N—” on the old bridge
Thought what you carried with you
Could carry us through
You knelt with your cane
Called it your protection
We walked for hours until we saw it again
Some days feel like the end days
Quit and wander back to the same page
I give a lot for the crack of sun
Creeping through my blinds
It’s a hope that reminds me
What I was lost looking to find
It’s a rope under bed frame
Afraid I spoke my mind. I tried.
The pantomime coaxing. We survived