Land After All

The blind taught me how to see,
the deaf how to listen,
and the misunderstood how to understand.

The silent taught me how to speak,
the meek how to fight,
and the cruel how to be kind.

The old taught me how to be young,
the young how to be old,
and the dead how to live.

In the darkness I see myself in the mirror,
in the light the mirror sees me,
and in neither was I ever truly free.

The free taught me nothing,
the ensnared taught me all,

‘Welcome,’ they said,
‘to the land of Afterall,
where enough is never,
and never is enough,
where each moment is empty,
and each breath a puff.’

Written on November 19, 2024