Defenseless
Unlike the days of old when cities were built with walls. Unlike the streets of my rearing, the place where my story began. And unlike a lone sparrow that I once rescued from a busy parking lot. When I walked alone and afraid
on a dark and dangerous street, no one came to my aid because I was
never seen, never heard. Walled cities had built-in defenses without which they were open targets with little hope of defeating their enemies. They
also had watchmen on the walls to sound alarms if they were threatened.
The locals knew better and limited their movements after dark. But I was new and failed to respond adequately to the smell of attack that fumigated
the atmosphere. I was a defenseless lamb among two wolves on the prowl.
I was the selected prey by the lurkers of the night, ever ready for the feast. They were armed and I was not. They were two and I walked home,
foreboding and alone. Unlike the Romans against the Jews at Masada,
no siege-works was required; no resistance was offered; no cry of alarm. Without a plan, I was the victim of that dark and silent night. Defenseless,
I did not run nor did I speak, and the two of them were armed, robbing me without a sound, leaving me defenseless, penniless and filled with wonder about my next move in the asphalt jungle. The innocence was gone, grave
damage had been done, and a new day had arrived. Like the good locals, I did not whine over spilled milk. Rather, I wiped up the spilled milk, built survival walls around myself and became a better watchman on the wall.
021320PoSpCtest, Pick-A-Title, Vol 14 - Tristich -, Edward Ibeh. Title picked-Defenseless
Copyright © Curtis Johnson | Year Posted 2020
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