Every single one of us

Has an island of our own.

Trapped and racked by storms,

Each one stands alone.

 

We sometimes hear soft whispers

Guided to us on the breeze,

Across the empty spaces,

And across the deep blue seas.

 

And so we tell ourselves

That we are not alone,

That there are others out there

On islands of their own.

 

So our eyes scan the horizon

For any sign of life at all,

But the sea remains a barrier,

A never-bending wall.

 

We may brush with others,

As long or briefly as may be.

But all of us, in truth, we are

Divided by a raging sea.

 

There is no boat, no raft, no ship,

Strong enough to pass by here.

The winds are too strong and too rough,

And so we remain trapped by fear.

 

We have not the courage

To leave all that we know.

There are no sails to draw us on,

And it’s much too far to row.

 

And so every single one of us

Remains on a island of our own.

Trapped by fear of what is different,

And ultimately alone.