​what are we if not just human?






beings flailing through the quagmire of life,,


embroiled in emptiness so stark,


hoping to find some solace, some peace,


stumbling along in the dark.






what are we if not just human,


grappling the torturous grind,


stabs of reality wounding us each day,


enduring hollow platitudes,


cloaked in the veneer of strength we portray.






what are we if not just human,


filling the void with trappings of convenience,


deluded that it will dull the pain,


buffering us from truths that surround us,


losing ourselves within our selves,


celebrating the meaningless ornaments that we attain.






what are we if not just human,


no more and no less,


praying for a salvation beyond this realm,


buying redemption with lofty intent,


crawling in apathetic inebriation,


always on our knees, our backs forever bent.






what are we if not just human,



trying to make sense of all we feel inside,


while in truth the masks we wear,


shrouds ourselves in cocoons to hide.






what are we if not just human,


clinging to scraps we find here and there,



what are we if not just human,


jarring ourselves to care.







what are we if not just human,



rekindling the humanity that resides in us all,


refusing to look away while those around us slip and fall.






what are we if not just human,



striving for a world less harsh, more true,



what are we if not just human,


never forgetting that we all bleed red,


him, her, us, and me and you.