6am

a stranger sat beside me

this morning as the sun rose

over the damp parking lot,

purple clouds reflected

in puddles on the pavement

like bruises across my skin. 

 

silently, we stared out 

at dark sky as swollen gray waves

of exhaustion streamed down

my cheeks. bright light peeks

from behind the clouds: a new day.

my mind twisted into tight knots

 

and all I could think about

were your hands:

empty, caught

constantly grasping

you never learned that

some things were just

too fragile to hold.