deconstructing

they said it would be dark
if you walked this path
don’t Doubt
—they said—
you won’t come back.
don’t Doubt
—they said—
you will be alone. 

yet you walked.

oh well.
—they said—
too far gone and nothing we can do
hemming and hawing
and doing nothing
they sat in pews and marked your name off their lips.

yet you walked.

the darkness was quiet
cool
deep
unnerving 

yet you walked.

and they were right.
they did nothing. 

yet you walked.

but they were wrong.
you were not alone.

and you stopped. 

in the darkness you felt hands
squeezing strength into your fingers
—the Doubters—
they came
and spoke your name on their lips.

so, together
you walked.