I saw a truly haggard man
His eyes were empty and cold
His shoulders drooped
And were shaking to boot
Although he was hardly old

I saw a truly horrid man
His brow fixed in a scowl
His mouth turn down
In a deplorable frown
I’ve never seen one look so foul

I saw a truly pitiable man
He must have been disgusting
His glance was depraved
Looking hopeless and grave
I hope never to meet again, trust me

I saw a truly miserable man
The signs couldn’t be any clearer
He had this look in his eye
That he wanted to cry
God, I wish this place didn’t have mirrors

She sits alone in the darkness
With nothing but a candle
The flame sways and dances
And she sways along with him

She gives him a gentle blow
He flickers, annoyed
She flickers back, sorry
But not that sorry

She holds out her hand
She tests it, weary
Bobbing up and down
How close can she come?

He burns her, hurts her
But he doesn’t mean it
It’s just his nature
Her fault for coming close

Boldly she touches him
She passes through
He’s bright, but empty
She nods, understanding

A breeze rolls in
It strikes the flame
He recoils back
Beaten to the ground

A moment of panic
A moment of darkness
Then he winks at her
She winks back, through tears

It’s always just been a series of short stories
Brief fables and amusing tales

One ends, tied together with a neat little bow
Another begins right after, the previous forgotten

Characters come and go in a few short minutes
And names are lost like pages in an open flame

A memory filled with a few short stories
But nothing meaningful in the end

I thought you’d be another short story
Your cover was so bright, so simplistic

But as I turned the pages more followed
You’re a novel that I just can’t put down

But maybe I’m tired of all the short stories
Maybe it’s time to sit down with a good book