Poems from communities: 8

[pomes]

That which doesn't kill us doesn't kill us.
1

Get up every morning and don't wake up dead
Silence the pain crashing inside your head
Pray without faith for an end to the dread
Then somebody says "You're so brave!"

Wake with the wish that this wasn't your life
Try to cut memories loose with a knife
Stare blinded by bleakness at violence rife
And people will say "You're so brave!"

It doesn't feel brave to be endlessly poor
To lie on the ground too weak not to endure
To cry, and then find you can't cry any more
But people all say "You're so brave!"

It turns out there's a skill, or a knack, you might say
To living through terror for just one more day
To doing it because there is no other way
And that's all it takes to be brave.

But it doesn't feel brave when you're sleepless at night;
I know this. It feels like it's absolute shite
And it is, it's appalling, you're completely right -
But you're also, I promise you, brave.

2 (What not to say)

I'll never understand how you could do it
To me you are so strong, so calm, so brave
The rest of us are too weak to go through it

You have an inner strength; I always knew it
Just think of all the others you might save
I'll never understand how you could do it

I'm glad it wasn't me; my spine's like suet
I'd rather spend my lifetime in a cave
The rest of us are too weak to go through it

It's like you are for pain just a conduit
Really, it was far too close a shave
I'll never understand how you could do it

I wanted to support you but I blew it
I'm too ashamed to speak so I'll just wave
The rest of us are too weak to go through it

Though choice was not the virtue to imbue it
You seem to have the bravery I crave
I'll never understand how you could do it
The rest of us are too weak to go through it