Survivor

In the early light, their faces appear

Livid and gray, with the weight of despair

Cement dust clings to their skin

As they toss and turn in their troubled dreams

I see them there, struggling to find rest

Their jaws moving as if chewing on air

Submerged in their own inner turmoil

They are haunted by the specter of death

"Stand back, leave me alone," I want to cry

I have not taken from anyone

I have not stolen another’s bread

No one has suffered in my place

But still they linger, a misty presence

A constant reminder of the burden I bear

I did not choose to live while others perish

It is not my fault that I continue to breathe

I long for them to fade into the fog

To release me from this guilt that weighs me down

To let me live and eat and sleep in peace

But for now, they remain, a haunting whisper in the night. ("Survivor") by Courtney Weaver Jr.