You have huddled so long
in that poison refuge
that you may have forgotten
how it feels to breathe deeply,
how it feels to stretch out,
to relax, to bask in the warmth
of belonging

You have been surprised
that others haven’t come to join you —
you wondered where they went —
did you suspect
that there might be a different refuge?

— One that would hold you
in a bountiful affection,
one that didn’t require venom
on your part, or anyone’s,
one that didn’t have
those soul-effacing rules,
the bitter bite exacted for admission

I’ll tell you something true:
if your refuge breaks,
or if you leave it,
you’ll find another.

©Wendy Mulhern
April 3, 2019