Fear, you walk beside me everyday.
      Stop me from stepping on toes,
           Walking past lines,
           Being seen out of the crowd.
You keep me warm, tucked in tight.
           Essence my every breath.
           Watch my every step.
           Cloud my every thought want.
Oh, beloved Fear â may I so ask,
           Where do you come from?
My Gurus called us warriors,
           Their tongues never articulating Fear.
           Letting their sons, at 14 going out in battle. Â
           Giving daughters, the strength to raise villages on their own.
So, Fear, I ask again, where do you come from?
           And how long do you plan to stay?
Because, Fear, you have closed many doors.
           Using the powers of my femininity against me.
           Something so beautiful is now oppressive.
           As a woman, they tell me my first husband is forever you, Fear.
Fear, will I forever do as I should, and never what I want?
 Fear, I fear you will be the only one by my side.
           Obituary reading:
           SPOUSE: FEAR
           REASON: DIED OF FEAR OF DEATH.
           And nothing else.
Fear, there is a fearsome thought in my heart.
           That so long as you exist,
           There lies no place for a woman,
           To LIVE. To LOVE. To SHOULD. Â