I ran down the street
My naked feet thumped on damp asphalt
Sharp stones pounded the underneath of my feet into leather
The sting under my feet was nothing
Compared to the stinging salt in my eyes
Or the raw flesh that was my throat
Burning screams ripped from my lungs
All I could do was run
Run from the pain
The fear
That always follows
Right on my heels
That fear is my shadow,
Taking different shapes
Sometimes big
Rarely small
But always there
Lying dormant
*On my heels