Voices in Humanism

thoughts at 2:30am

My breath
Gets caught in my throat
It hurts to exhale

Each time
I think it’s okay
To let it out
To breathe
I come across
Another bit of news
Another life lost
Another cruelty
At the hands
Of our so-called protectors
Exposed

Each time
The hope
I’ve begun rebuilding
Comes tumbling down
And I wonder
If I will forever live in a world
Where I can’t comfortably
Breathe
Where I have to worry
About the safety of loved ones

Each time
They leave the house
Even if just to run
The most mundane of errands

Hafza Inshaar
Class of 2023