for those days
when hope will not help
because it is not hope that you want
but a cessation
a finality
an end

for those days
when comfort only hurts
because everything hurts, everything
is tender to the
point of
pain

for those days
when kisses feel like
dagger blades between your shoulders
and promises like empty tin cans
tied together
with string

on those days
I will be silent
I will be absent, even when
I am very near
I will hold you
without touching

and when you cry
I will catch your tears in
a vial of crystal that makes rainbows
in the sun
to hang around your windows
when you are smiling and
laughing and
joyful
and
content

to remind your tears
they are safe to fall