We Held Our Breathe

We held our breath

Closed our eyes

Clinched our wrists

And told our bodies it would be okay

But we lied

On all days 

That started with a sunrise

It was easier that way

Or so we were told

Truth never survived our footsteps

Its ashes grow roots in our past

And we are left to decipher

The untold stories of our ancestors

Afraid to listen

We ignore their cries

Place apologies over their lips

And whisper good intentions into their ears

Believing one day

We too would be unsung heroes

But we lied

Silence rarely conquers evil

And love is hard to come by

So we made due

With little white lies

And broken promises

Wishing we could hold time in our hands

We send prayers up for the fallen

And utter words of encouragement to the innocent

But that never works

The pain doesn’t go away

And bruised knees follow broken hearts

So we stand powerless

Looking fear in the eyes

Watching reality get injected into our veins

Waiting to be paralyzed by our own circumstances

Thinking mercy is the only rule

That fight is a foreign language 

And courage never existed

So we held our breath

Closed our eyes

Clinched our wrists

And told our bodies it would be okay

But we lie