The four-eyed,

Clawed,

Toothed,

Mottled-purple and blue-

Terror in the closet

And under the bed.

 

The palpable anxiety

Caused by an

Eighty-two or

A seventy-five.

 

The nameless emotion that

Enrobes us when we have our first heartbreak,

Cloaking us in misery and a desire

For mint chocolate chip or

Rocky road.

 

The fear of falling into an abyss

Of unknown experiences

And fogged clarity

as we first separate

Ourselves from our loved ones,

Our wings unsteady and shaking.

 

Fear.

It is a complex word,

But one we hold close to our hearts.

This word represents the

Majority of our lives in

A single syllable.

All of our memories painted in its hue,

Our milestones laid upon such a foundation.

 

Fear has built us

As well as torn us down.

It has brought us imminent joy,

As well as to the brink of death.

Without fear, we would cease to exist.

Without fear, we would not be happy-

We would be quite stolid,

Statuesque in our neutrality.

With fear, we are whole.

With fear, we are human.