Greed

I would never have believed

that I’d awake one day

in a lonely cell, having stripped

myself of everything precious

that I’d always taken for granted

by shaking a fist at my creator

for ending the suffering of my beloved

in a way other than I’d imagined while

on my knees;

awaiting transport

to a place no one belongs, except

to the state, whose

main concern is the bottom line; bodies

for which they receive top dollar,

but never humans, never

souls, never mothers whose lives have been nothing

more than a series of tragic events,

and are now doomed to

walk this journey

through the wilderness with

no prophet to lead, no

cloud by day or

fire by night to prevent

the aimless wander

of the hopelessly exhausted, desperate

to be anywhere but here;

or destined—

and placed, precisely

on this map,

at this point—

a testament

that it doesn’t have to end

here, that life’s treasure

chest of grace, hope,

and redemption

can be uncovered if we

don’t

stop

digging.