a moment of joy
a fall from grace
now an empty shelf
instead of an angels space

always cracked, no matter
how well it's assembled
gone, lost to our breath or
the ground as it trembles

i asked what she'd found
as she collected the fragments
a feeling of loss, hopelessness
despair and detachment

it was only half as precious
as i had originally thought
she smiled as she told me
love is given, never bought