Press Forward

I don't recall a time

when the world breathed easy—


hands clasped without hesitation,


eyes met without fear.


Laughter rose like birdsong,


soft and certain.

Today, the sky speaks in broken tones,


sirens replace silence,


and every glance


asks too many questions.

Trust crumbles like old stone,

will they curse me-


the streets echo with doubt.


We walk forward,


but the ground shifts,


unwritten.

The future—


a shadow at noon,


flickering


between what was


and what we no longer


recognize.