you are the quiet flutter

and the raging storm

of schooling minnows

never sure in which direction to travel

always obsequious to those

surrounding you

but I ask

what will you do

if one day

you find yourself isolated?

no school in sight

no longer able to hide under the thick blanket

of the collective identity  

no longer able to seek comfort

in a sea of familiarity

and what will you do

if you remain in your school?

will the risk of infection

become your fate?

or will you perish

while scurrying and scavenging

in a lethal battle for survival?

it’s you and me, anxiety

and only one will fall victim to Darwin’s cycle.

These questions are irrelevant

because you couldn’t even make the decision

if you had a choice