Somewhere in the middle

The subway stops
somewhere in the middle
we dismount in the dark
feeling our way along
in a world between worlds
—we were never meant to be here.
But here we dwell, now
in caves of our own design
we light fires, hang blankets,
write on the walls, find water
make this disaster Home,
these strangers Family,
these habits Life—but what if
one day, the lights scream back to life?
What would we do? We cannot go back
but to stay would be a farse.
So we wait like anxious beasts
for the telltale roar and rush,
for the subway carried on its path
leaving us scrambling behind
trying to catch a life
that passed us by.
In time, we think less of this.
We were never meant to be here;
but slowly, we forget it’s so
and shape ourselves to fit
the world between worlds.

September 2021