they take and they take and they take
until you have fallen so far
until the hole is too deep
and you would rather plunge further instead of climbing out of it
your back is a constant battleground for the stones that they are throwing at one another
and the bruising is normalized
they curve the sides of your mouth upward at the thought of death
and you picture yourself running until you find it
they take and they take and they take
until they are here and you are not
your demons have consumed you
and left you so empty
you might as well be dead