the way that alcohol
f  l  o  o  d  e  d
her veins
was almost like
the way in which
stars
flood a night sky.

and her eyes,
were black holes:
empty
and dark.

she left all her cares behind
a long time ago,
on a shelf
in a jar,
sitting right next to two others, labeled
"happiness"
and
"trust."

you might ask what happened to her love.

she left that with me,
and said,
"do with it what you wish,"
for she hadn't the trust
to expect me to keep it safe,
nor the happiness
to keep it for herself.

i never saw her again after that,
but i still have her love.

and to this day,
here it sits.

on a shelf,
in a jar,
right next to two others, labeled
"memories of you"
and
"hope for the future."

though i must say,
each of these jars
is growing emptier
each day.

(a.m.)