It was all we could do to keep the ice cream from melting down the sides of the cones, sticking to our fingers and clothes.

It was all we could do to hang on. To anything. Resembling real life.

It was all we could do to avoid being trampled as elephants hurtled down the street followed by the keepers and the smaller beasts.

It was all we could do to save one. The others would eventually perish.

It was all we could do to find shelter in the darkest spaces when the storm clouds gathered and the bombs started to fall.

It was all we could do to fill the darkest spaces with something we thought would be important for posterity.

It was all we could to when the water parted, allowing us to pass.

It was all we could do to harness the power of nature.

It was all we could do when we realized nature could not be harnessed or controlled, but was dominant and we were mere passengers.

– Mark Ifanson

Author’s Note: “It Was All We Could Do” is an anxiety-ridden dream state piece that just came to me one day while free-writing.