fear

i wear my fear
clear down to my feet

that has been the benefit
of realizing
i wear shoes

my soles protect
my soul

life in the
shoals

is as safe
as life in
a hole

better above
and on
the ground

letting the harmful sounds
wash over the sand
of a ground-down face
the shape of this place

my fear also
wears me
we are each other’s
clothes

this is 
inevitable

let us be
as we
are

hats on hats
shoes over shoes

a lose-lose ideal
stealing marches
on the feet that do
the world