i feel the world is lifting slowly away from my shoulders and releasing me
after an eternity i've finally discovered i can breathe without her at my side
although my heart aches a little more with every waking moment
with the thought that i might never again see her or the galaxies that exploded within her

atop the mountain
i know the musky scent of pine needles will bring back forgotten memories
the frosty mornings we spent outside, side by side, the fire burning softly
our hands wrapped around metal mugs in which sweet tea tainted the air
with wild curling steam that drifted without a single breath of wind
and mingled with the smell of cigarettes and cheap ***** on her breath

we heard buzzards screech and saw them loftily wheeling in the empty skies
among our little mountain range where the wolves cried at the moon that lay among the stars
and where the sky seemed to stretch away from us infinitely with endless beauty
all i can think of now is the way her hair always smelt of the crisp apples we ate in the springtime
*atop the mountain