Does it hurt? Just take it slow.

Can you hear leaves rustling in the wind's gentle flow?

And the soothing touch of tree-shaded reprieve?

In these pictures alone, feelings may deceive,

Yet sometimes, that's all we need to know.

Does it hurt? I understand; I bear my share of pain.

Carrying my suffering, my heart strains,

As heavy as a stone, it weighs me down,

My body shrinks from the shadows' ominous sound,

Always preferring to escape, to distance and strain.

It seems all it can do now is flee,

Running away from what's dark and scary,

No immediate solution that we can foresee,

But sometimes, flight can set the spirit free.

So, why not run away, already?

Does it hurt? Sometimes, it's beyond our command,

Yet this too shall pass, like shifting sands,

Except, sometimes, it clings like an unyielding band,

And in these moments, we must make our stand.