Life ‘s a dirty bitch in plastic gloves

At the end of a tether is better

sometimes you’ve just got
to reach that point to
create friction & work for
results___

now my bonds & strength
have doubled, for once
a sense of pride is felt___
though I am humbled &
discretion is preferable___

my deeds may not
have appeared honorable in
the eyes of everyone, even
my own, ___an injustice
is forever such, & the
crime itself
has now become
common for women___,
it’s difficult to
maintain a moderately
optimistic
view of the future___
after a stranger under oath
had a hand
in having to walk the
fence between life & death___

illness has plagued me for a
fucking decade & all the while
the one thing always in focus___
has been determination to
survive___
no matter how dirty
the fight gets