The power to breathe,
Heartbeat flutters,
A shudder at the thought of what lies beyond—
The things that cannot be seen.

Toe tap, toe tap, feet in motion,
Hands raised, one by one,
The rise and fall of song.
What will come about?

An egregious tone bellows from the distance,
Voices rising in disagreement.
Every opinion, yet no harmony—
Standing side by side with no room.

The rising wall shudders with violence.
Breath turns shallow.
The thread of speech begins to unravel at the seams,
Many thunderous words aimed to kill, not to maim.