The blow lands swiftly and precisely

Dead center of the false sense of security

And out of nowhere, really.

Unanticipated;

it never comes where or when you think it will.

You know it’s going to come.

That’s a given.

But the hollow of you,

the knowing that you are unknown,

has been quietly, steadily filling

until guarded loosens into comfortable

not realizing that any negative space nullifies that which has filled

any unknown is fully unknown

any hollow is all hollow.

How many times can one return to the starting block?

When do you just stop, altogether?