before, between, and after

Inhale

move inward and observe

Exhale

dissolve

A question and an answer spoken in quiet

Who am I?

You have to be more specific

Who am I without my trauma?

Barrier and shield

Blanket and blade

I float in the soft breeze of excuse

And drown in crushing agony

Both can be true

Both can be true

But I am not only black and white

I’m brown

Which is not quite middle

Not quite mediating two extremes

inhaling and exhaling

whatever is before, between, and after

I’m something catching all

scattering innumerable