it could be worse

it could be worse.

i could be in that city,
wrong place and the wrong time,
pulled into an alleyway
and robbed of everything.

the evidence taken,
affliction left behind
as a constant reminder.

i could be that girl,
barely out of school.
turning to the only thing she knows
for money.

her virtue taken,
trauma building up
as a result of her choices.

i could be that little boy,
terrified in the dark,
scared of being abused
once again.

the bruises running along his arms,
both fresh and lasting.

i could be that child,
orphaned after a natural disaster.

life pulled apart at the seams,
in the hopes that one day
it will be sewn back together.

it could be worse.
it could always be worse than it is.
the world is cruel,
yet i experience so little of the anguish there is to experience.
for all that i have experienced,
it is nothing,
compared to what it could be.