is to feel the sea around your feet
and listen to the waves crash
they bubble and splash
and ask: “how many merfolk were unfortunate to have their hearts broken
for there are so much foam in the sea?”

is to sit at a quiet cafe
staring at people passing by
stirring my tea until it’s
sweet
like the life i’ll never have

is to witness the dawn
when the sun rises and the moon fades
the remnants of night face the new morning
the only time they could meet
but still not touch; only see

is to count the stars
and look up to the brightest above
and wonder:
does absence make the heart grow fonder,
or the distance grow further?

is to write all this down
with a name in my head
and a face in my heart
in search of a happy ending;
this is not.