Through the gray fog
of sub-conscious
she seeks the laughter
shared by others
soft eyes full
of questions and desire

With the deepening
Autumn shadows
Winter hovers
in her mind
bitter and sodden
burying all the once warm places
with its icy cover

As endless afternoons
stretch out
in front of her
she reaches
for something
to hold on to

Her slender fingers
cling
to a book
with no substance
just words upon a page

while her fragile mind
weaves a tangled
web
to catch
the scattered elusive thoughts

But the web is empty
its silken threads broken
no longer able to hold onto
eternity