"I feel like a person living on the brink of a volcano crater"

Agnes Smedley's quote talks to the sensation of living in a precarious and unpredictable scenario. It suggests that the speaker remains in a state of consistent tension and fear, as if they are surviving on the edge of a volcano crater. This might be interpreted as a metaphor for an individual living in an unsafe or unsteady environment, such as a war zone or a location of political discontent. It might also be interpreted as a metaphor for a person living in a state of psychological turmoil, such as someone struggling with depression or anxiety. In either case, the quote conveys a sense of fear and worry, as if the speaker is continuously on the edge of disaster.