Life wears us down in ordinary ways.
Observe long enough and distance
becomes easier than involvement.
Rules gather around. Obey a few,
and suddenly silence feels safer than risk.
There’s always something to worship,
usually the thing that could hurt the most.
A need to control settles in quietly,
gripping anything that might slip away.
A touch can prove existence,
even when it isn’t welcome.
And change happens whether we want it or not,
leaving crumbs behind.
The cost hides in the repetition.