More Than We Had Ever Imagined

Sometimes we've known that something was going to be scary.

We could picture the outcome with growing ennui.

But once that something happened, it was more frightening

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

 

Sometimes we've known a storm would cause destruction.

At least that's what the forecasters could foresee.

The storm, however, turned out to be more disastrous

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

 

Sometimes we've known a disease was going to be deadly.

Hopes of survival brought no guarantee.

Struggling to survive was so much harder

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

 

Sometimes we've known a person was unstable,

But we couldn't perceive to what degree.

Later we learned that person was more deranged

Than we'd imagined him or her to be.

 

Sometimes we've known that fighting for our rights

And fighting to preserve democracy

Was going to be a battle more important

Than we had ever imagined it would be.

 

(2-20-17)