Pulling hope from my chest
Reaching every day
Lessons in patience
Lessons in love
Giving to them
Everything I could dream of

I like to touch every bottle, every single bottle
I remember the faces of the many people who asked for them
It brings back the rifts and the jokes- exhaustion from every night
The gorgeous silence of being alone
In a place that’s chaotic and loud
Except the early morning
Just me, the sunrise, and the bottles

A man I hardly know asked me for advice
He was used to dope and was trying to stay clean
His roommate stole his rent and a friend stole his wallet
His family has had enough, he's all alone
His face is gaunt
His eyes a soft blue and when his voice started to shake- I saw a little boy
I didn't know what he could do
I held my arms out
He was reluctant at first
But he held on and sobbed
I rocked him back and forth
Tears streamed down my face
My shirt was covered in his tears
There was a knock at the door- we let go
Wiped our eyes and scooted our chairs back
When the office door opened, they only saw 2 people
Quietly finishing paperwork