my hand cramps
as my sanity scans
the sand for strands
of the aforementioned man

waiting for responses
despondent correspondence
doctrine traditionally dictates dialogue
a little less lack luster
i pray i can make a statement
with at least every other word i muster

i felt a breeze
for a brief, squeezing second
beneath the leaves
of fall, led to believe
you felt the same
and maybe nothing came
besides me
alone with my phone in the other hand

my brother may leave soon
but he has been gone a while
somewhere west of kyiv
and south of things unsaid

my eyes meet your baby blue gaze
“nice to meet your face”, they say
my heart keeps a pace
adjacent to a train racing
to replace itself and sound and light
and if he attacks me
i hope it is not tonight

in my indulgence
i dove inside
her scent of home
i felt justified
to be alone.

when she broke my stride
i tripped and fell
and i watched the scabs decide
which bones to reside in

i spent a day away
and after that, all i can say
is i felt the distance like a scab
itching for a hurt you never had

how tucking dumb of me to think my absence
would make your heart grow fonder
imagine my surprise when you found
delight at the sight of me underground