hopelessness
waking me up
over and over again
in restless nights

sunlight,
nobody to look over at.
to see the warmth burning their skin
the same way it’s burning mine

love blossoms in the tree branches
the sweet scent of my childhood
floats through the air
its the flowers that were planted
in my elementary school garden

for a moment i have gone back in time
gone home
to the backyard filled with fireflies
the swing set where i could fly

i see people
connections
forming
between their eyes

i can’t touch this experience

there is no escape for the lonely
the weak or the forgotten
they are
scooped like pumpkins
hollow
with faces carved
into crooked smiles