alone
i test the word out in my mind
it tastes numb
and empty
while at the same time,
inviting pain to dance in my skull

alone
it should be painless
just void
a lack

so why does it press me from every direction
squeezing out the air
trapping me

i am in a circus
funhouse mirrors all around me
showing reflections of just one person
scared
tears dripping down her delicate nose
reflecting me back on myself
making me more lonely than before