Sometimes it takes the silent tears
when I'm lying alone at night
  to remind myself that I am alive

There they stand before a wall of darkness,
Hands clasped, begging for amnesty.
So long they have been heedlessly running,
Assured in their security –

Shadows now loom over them,
Children weep as their fathers curse
And mothers sit in resignation.
Here I am, no longer part of this world.

Warnings meant nothing,
Outspoken worries provoked only jest,
Murmurs and judgments.
Here I am, no longer part of their world.

The moment of superior judgment has come,
Finding them in a state of desperation.
Mere flecks upon the earth
In the larger scope of the universe.

They sulk in their helplessness -
The bravest of them are now gone.
Prayers are their only consolation.
Here I am, no longer part of their world.

There she stands, eyes trained upward
Her eyes red, hair unkempt
Arms clutched around herself for warmth -
Here I am, no longer part of her world.

Prayers reach me, to no avail
I can be no help to them now.
As the darkness finally overtakes them,
Here I am, no longer part of that world.

I am bread without the butter
Filling, but not quite the full effect
I am the heel of the loaf,
The piece you only eat
When you really are that hungry
Satisfying, but not quite satisfactory
I am the slice with the moldy spot
The one you can only eat half of
Tainted, but not yet completely lost
I am the loaf thats gone stale
Crisp, but not because im toasted
I am whole wheat when you wanted white,
And white when you wanted rye
I am never what you want,
But I am what you get

Sleeping in a hotel,
Away from home
The mattress seems cold and hard,
Like a prison floor
The body next to mine is warm,
Raising so slightly with her
Shallow morning breaths
How we got here,
I don’t remember
But the emptied bottle of
Grey Goose by the bed
Seems to be a clue
It even explains the aching,
A dull pain behind my eye
I roll closer to the stranger
Next to me, draping an arm
Over her soft skin
As if hoping to absorb,
The name of this beauty
Her hair, like straw,
A golden brown, the faint
Scent of smoke
From the night before
Soft lips press to mine
“Good morning”, she says,
Her voice seeming angelic
“Hey”, I reply,
And we share a smile,
After we rise
“Last night”, the words
Fumbling from my mouth
Before I could even finish,
“Don’t worry about it”,
The door shutting behind her,
She left me with nothing,
But I, was in love