Who are we without it? Who are we without the ache? Without the pull toward what is gone. Without missing what is already gone. Without longing shaping our choices. Without the dreams we still pretend to chase. Without being used to being alone. Without a mind that never shuts up. Without searching for meaning where others see nothing. Take it all away, and then what? Calm bodies. Quiet minds. But no edge. No tension. No inner fire. Well, I guess we don't just fear pain. We fear who we are without it.