Five Steps at a Time

Too cold

To hold my bowl and spoon,

To feel my toes.

Too tired

To breathe,

To suck air in and blow it out.

Just five more steps,

I told myself.

You can do it.

Just five more steps.

Leybl will be waiting.

He knows what happened

To Mama, Papa, and Mushke.

You must survive for him.

Now five more.

Then you can rest.

Just five more steps.

But there was

No rest.

Just marching

On.

Five steps at a time.

The Heart still beating under my arm.