If you can.

Breathe.

As tornados of turmoil swirl around you
And sticky gasps of air
Scratch
Along the back of your throat.

Breathe.

She is silent in the distance like a sunrise that hasn’t happened
Hope screaming from the inside
Trembling at the prospect
Of imploding.

Breathe.
If you can.

Please.

Breathe.

Her bittersweet memory is not enough anymore
But standing on this fading line
Between yesterday and tomorrow
What must become of what I am?
Or rather,
What I longed to be?

Breathe.
If you can.

It may be
The last.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As winter works its way into the cracks
Before sighing and swelling;
Stretching the gaps,
Synaptic,
But also,
The spaces between,
The places
We used to meet
And breathe.

And look into each other’s eyes

Laughing our cares to the sky

Your laugh, to my soul, a lullaby

And I’m not ready to say goodbye.

I want you to spend the night....