To stay here
Is to accept
That we might be shot
At the market
While we work
In our schools
Or simply walking down the street
That we are
One car crash away
From being
Forever changed
That cancer might grow in us
Unnoticed
While we are going about our day
Because of some poisons we breathed
Or some chemical we ate too much of
Or for no real reason at all
That we risk daily
Randomly losing
Those we hold dear
To stay here
Is to acknowledge
That we may never reach
The finish line
We were running towards
The goals
We’ve been working towards
To stay here
Is to acknowledge
That our reason for staying here
May likely change with time
From reaching a specific goal
To seeing how far we can get
Despite the odds
To stay here
Is to stare down disappointment
And realize
That disappointment
Sometimes wins
Yet we stay here
Stay here
Stay to rewrite life’s rules
Stay not because
Life has treated you well
Stay because
Perfection is a lie
Stay because
The very best parts of life
Are found more easily
And felt more deeply
By those who have once
Been broken
Stay because
The miracle is
That we exist
For any time
At all