"just a few"

just a few words they use to criticize.
just a few more tears that fall, due to…
just a few additional exchanges of empty words.

just a few less times I say “ i love you. ”
just a few months before I say “ i’m gone. ”
just a few hours until I say “ i just cannot continue. ”

just a few occasions I die a little inside.
just a few times my heart breaks a little bit.
just a few moments that take all the time we have left,

just a few days waning, pending an ending.
just a few fewer smiles shared, lacking care.
just a few declining glares, with a glaring silence.

just a few unsubstantial words left unspoken.
just a few shortened encounters claiming cold seconds.
just a few ignored thoughts filling the air with humid hate.

just a few fleeting joys born in false promises.
just a few fighting finales made of shallow responses.
just a few failed tries to mend frayed ties.

just a few gazes that fall to glassy glances.
just a few broken voices that fall to aimless wandering in darkness.
just a few floating hopes that slowly fall into a growing transparency.

just a few “ just a few’s ” until…
“just a few ” turns into “ sometimes ” until…
“ sometimes ” turns into “ usually ” until…
“ usually ” turns into “ always ” until…
“ always ” becomes “ nothing. ”

just a few “ nothing’s ” until…
every “ nothing ” illuminates the hope.
the lost hope that was once found in “ just a few. ”

“ just a few ” meant a chance for change.
now every “ nothing ” leaves a gaping “ nothing. ”
the “ nothing ” that ultimately takes everything.