Surviving the After

We talk about the fight like it's our life.

And in some ways, it is. It's all we know.

The fight against evil,

The fight against monsters,

The fight against ourselves.

It can become everything because it can mean everything

Mean life or death, for better or worse.

The war consumes us until it becomes who we are.

But sometimes, no matter how long or hard we fight

No matter how much we need or deserve to win

Sometimes we don't. Sometimes we lose.

We have to live with that.

And sometimes that's a fight all on its own.

Everyone talks about the fight. The victory.

Nobody talks about the loss.

The after.