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Indebted to Survival

A servitude of sorts.

By Lolly VieiraPublished 6 months ago β€’ 1 min read
Indebted to Survival
Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

the cost of survival

can leave you in the red

they don't tell you that growing up

or maybe they do

and it was just me who didn't know

I had no clue

that always being ready

to flee or fight

could leave a body running

like an 85 Ford Econoline

whose front end got hit by a train

every skill mastered in childhood

meant for protection

has ended up causing more harm

than I'd ever imagined

than I was even aware of

for a long, long time

the all hours cortisol free for all

in my brain

has begun to wear it thin

from faded memories

to fogs as opaque as snow

no one told me survival

would cost me so much life

with no options for return or refund

Free VerseMental Healthsad poetrysocial commentaryStream of Consciousnessheartbreak

About the Creator

Lolly Vieira

Welcome to my writing page where I make sense of all the facets of myself.

I'm an artist of many mediums and strive to know and do better every day.

https://linktr.ee/lollyslittlelovelies

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Comments (4)

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  • Tim Carmichael6 months ago

    I can really feel what you’re saying. I can relate to the constant fight-or-flight, and how exhausting it is.

  • This is very strong and so true. Nobody tells us just how complicated life can be - especially the older you get. Excellent writing Lolly!

  • Aspen Marie 6 months ago

    Too familiar and yet comforting ❀️

  • Omggg, this was soooo true! Many of us would be able to relate to this. Loved your poem!

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