I never walked through a cold forest
Alone with my fears
Lighting a fire to survive.
I never jumped from a plane
My face skin whipped by
Gravity’s wind.
I was never violated
Body and soul crushed by someone’s need
To seize.
I never left the shore for long
My leash reeled me back in again
And again.
I never felt hunger for food or ambition
Or heart-break that made me want to die.
I dab, with a fumbling brush
My wound, my doubt,
Onto a homemade canvas
Wondering if I have anything
Worthy to say