as of lately. - Kellye Rae Miller

Timidity and fear have become more than just acquaintance.

In their masquerade of wisdom, they settled in my thoughts;

and I greeted them with no hostility,

I was curious to hear their advice.

My mind wrapped around their certainties,

Adopting their rationale, I gave them place in my heart.

They lived in a perfect breeding ground there,

 and came up for breath at uncertain future and unpaid bills.

They began to thrive there in the dark place,

letting themselves be known at every opportune time.

I elected their voice as a familiar friend;

their habits were now my heart response

I became well-versed in their unfulfilling melody,

so I added blame to their song.

The new addition crowned me lordship and power;

I disowned responsibility, I threw fault to whoever I felt fit.

I could hear their whispers about the future;

saying fear was soon to retire.

Blame began to pack up his voice,

and he moved from heart to mouth.

The move was difficult for us all.

Fear became irrelevant, forgotten.

The hierarchy had been established,

and fear lost its duty when others were at fault.

Time told us we could live on like this,

and we learned to tag-team accordingly.

Fear would occasionally make a cameo,

but only as blame's sidekick, aiding well in his accusation.

Beware to mistake this order for kinship,

wearily holding hands within the ranks;

for in the moment we interlocked our fingers,

the wind will trap us there in ripple and sway.

So down we fall, four frontline soldiers,

our tour sharply reaching its end.

We lie face down on our self-made battlefield,

Unveiled to the reality of the outside casualty count.