How easily the struggle and monotony of the day-to-day existence can slowly grind us down, almost with such subtlety as to be unnoticeable, until we find ourselves becoming listless and lacking in substance. We might find we have become almost lifeless shells of who we used to be, or should be, or could be. And in this temporal limbo where senses start to disappear, we might find the urge to reach out for relief, or simply call out in desperation. This can become the catalyst in affecting a necessary course correction.

If we are not careful, as the poet Tagore said, we might find ourselves saying, “The song I came to sing remains unsung to this day. I have spent my days in stringing and in unstringing my instrument.”

 
SURVIVE
Treyan Porter

Wake up, go to work, go through the motions again
Am I living or dying or just going insane?
It’s something deep inside me I can’t shake
Like one long dream, and I can’t wake
You know they say give it time and it’ll be alright
But if it was, would I be here at your door in the middle of the night?

     So I’m asking you baby
     Am I here, do you see me?

          Can you teach me to cry again
          Teach me to breathe and then
          Teach me to smile on the darkest night
          Teach me to climb
          Into my soul again
          And then I might survive

Still getting out of bed, how? I don’t know
I used to have five senses, where’d they go?
And the doctor says, “How you feeling?”
“That’s the problem doc, I don’t feel a thing, like I’m disappearing”
I’ve been waiting for a change, but it doesn’t come
So here I am completely numb

     So look in my eyes baby
     If I’m in there, then maybe

          You can teach me to cry again
          Teach me to breathe and then
          Teach me to smile on the darkest night
          Teach me to climb
          Into my soul again
          And then I might survive

     I looked in the mirror again
     I think I’m disappearing and
     I am dry inside
     So please hold my hand again
     So I know that I’m real and then
     I can try to survive

I thought I’d take a walk through the city today
And now I’m wandering through this concrete maze
All the people blur as they walk on by
I’d scream right now if only I…

          Can you teach me to cry again
          Teach me to breathe and then
          Teach me to smile on the darkest night
          Teach me to climb
          Into my soul again
          And then I might survive