Not with a bang but a whimper

It is not purposeful hard work 
But making the effort 
To go through every day 
That kills us.

We die not so much of broken backs 
As of hunched ones, and broken hearts.

To survive that, to outlive the heart 
Persistently getting nibbled at 
By craggy incisors,
That is the test of gritted teeth.

First published in Anapest/The Paragon Journal, 2 Sep 2017.