Their suffering is greater than I could even imagine

In comparison,

I am living beyond what their minds could conjure up

I agonize over career paths, and what city to claim as my own

While they pray for water that does not cause their stomach’s to ache

Or enough protein, so edema does not inflate their capillaries

How could I be so selfish?

A woman with family and friends who insulate me

With not only shelter,

But happiness that many have never known

I am at a loss of words when I imagine the implications of a dirt floor

Or having no pillow to lay my head on at night

Would I rise in strength?

Or shrink into a hole that no one could pull me out of

I am fortunate enough to never face a task so daring

But what about them?

Who will bring them light in the darkness?

Could I even generate the iridescence of a single candle?

I will try my best to be what the world asks of me

I will try my best to produce a flame.