The Race

And what shall I say of this thing called life,
Yes, this thing!, called life!
Many before me have called it a race
I have grown to share this sentiment
A race of unequal starting points
A race to live, a race to death
This thing called life, a race of varying meters, tracks unique to each

In this race I walk, I jog, I run
And I fall, face flat, body bruised, from the ground up, like a phoenix still I rise
A privilege in real time I do not acknowledge
All in this race shall fall to death, even if not today, tomorrow shall it be
Others shall fall, but not to death, 
They shall fall and never rise, 
And when they do rise, zombies they become.
Not privileged to die, not privileged to live a life devoid of demons, who have now become personal shadows,
Life, once a blessing, becomes a menace.
Many more, are born to this life, not once knowing what it feels like to rest without tears
To sleep without fears, hunted by men regarding your person as inferior, haunted by ideas of men through no good deed of theirs, and through no wrong doing of yours, begin their race a cross country mile ahead of you
Is it the color?, lack of a stick for genitalia?, the box I occupy on the world map?
I can’t stop to think much of these things, because, I have a race to run

In this race, woe is he lacking in allies 
Who can run this race alone? 
Allies who cheer as I race, allies who watching my back, have their race too

And when their bones get weary and their hearts get heavy and their legs hasten, focused on their race, oblivious to the changes around me
It will be selfish to scream, why have though forsaken me
I wish nothing better than the best for them
It will be selfish, as they have their lives to live
My spirit wishes, you’d cheer for me, as I cheer for you, for who can run this race without allies

On the track where our paths crosses and we share laughs, fears, joy and sorrow
On that same track would allies, too true to human nature, spill blood, for good reason or without a just cause,
The emotions and good memories shared between us, mean little now
True to human nature, some Allie’s become onlookers as you draw your last breath in this race called life
That was the extent of the bond of our alliance
Fleeting, just like the final breath of the dying

I race, I have no choice, from the moment I was birthed I signed up for this race
The good
The bad
The ugly, consent or no consent, I race.