[Juniper]

One of the strangest things about humans is how we seem exempt from the normal cycle of life. Animals either escape or they die. Their stressors don’t haunt them. They don’t keep them up at night. They adapt. It's built into them. But what are humans hard-wired to do? We chase down our demons… we make them our theme. And then we repeat them, over and over. What are we practicing for by repeatedly putting ourselves in these situations? To what end do we torture ourselves? To prove to ourselves that we can do it. To finally overcome our largest obstacles. To self-actualize.

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walls on all sides, cold and damp – how long did I live in those caves?

we share rice, and stories, and a bed sometimes. it's all fleeting, but I'm piecing it together.

it's so familiar, it's almost sickening. I can remember feeling like this before.

each night alone is a firm punctuation, like I can't stand the idea of being alone.

every ending is always bitter. I know I can't change this situation,

I built these four walls to keep me consistent, but I have to change myself.

but consistent doesn't make for a flexible mind – so I will leave myself.

consistent didn't bode well for those restless legs. just like I did before –

Can you guess what I did next? that's right. I ran.