safe.
the one ride i know i’ll survive –
no bumps, turns, flips, drops,
no sudden stops.
one speed,
round and round
again and again
and then, the end.
get off or stay on,
ride one more time because it’s
safe.
why take a risk,
a chance you might break
down and lose it all?
fall and fall
until there’s nowhere to go
all because you left your comfort zone.
all alone
future unknown.
you wanted an escape,
left behind what was
safe.
round and round,
again and again –
all fine until that moment when
the monotony of it all sets in.
you’ve lost your happiness from within.
The Caffeinated Writer 
This is so potent. Thank you for writing and sharing it with us!
You perfectly capture that balancing act of wanting to protect yourself, needing to protect yourself, the relief when you’ve finally succeeded and you feel safe and protected – until you realize you don’t know what you’re protecting anymore. Or maybe balancing act isn’t the right phrase; either way you’ve articulated something that I’ve struggled with myself.
This is so potent. Thank you for writing and sharing it with us!
You perfectly capture that balancing act of wanting to protect yourself, needing to protect yourself, the relief when you’ve finally succeeded and you feel safe and protected – until you realize you don’t know what you’re protecting anymore. Or maybe balancing act isn’t the right phrase; either way you’ve articulated something that I’ve struggled with myself.