Learning Survival

She had lost almost everything once,
and so she lived
everyday
as if there was someone
or
something
out there,
ready to take it all away.
And because she took nothing
for granted,
she never procrastinated—
always feeling that if she wasn’t ahead,
she was behind.
It was so easy to forget things,
for so much was on her menu
that was added to daily.
Yet she found that by living this way,
although
physically and mentally—
yet never spiritually—
exhausting,
made her better,
her quality of life better,
for she could eat what she wanted sometimes.
Yes, she’d rather work 60 hours a week
and lose her sanity,
but preserve her security,
however temporary.
And the time that she wasn’t working,
trying to make it all happen,
she spent enjoying that which had not yet
been
taken
away.

Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 449