barely
barely

i say unto
you & 

you
& you

sometimes i
am afraid

not just for
myself

but for all 
of us

each of us
future trippin’

past stricken
immobile

the hammer is
raised & we

pretend we
do not know

who holds it
instead

we dip
& dodge

we duck &
weave

we run away
& toward

we tell our-
selves

we do what 
we can

right up 
until

we are 
asked

to do
better