rays creep through dust covered blinds amid sounds from below trip-trapping of heels across kitchen linoleum by legs, hearts and minds unaware that tears did not dry on my pillow heedless that covers hide fears that the luminous hands on the dial will not stop warning me that a voice will call ringing my name aloud expecting this body to carry a smile to morning coffee and darkened toast for another day this smile will conceal a bleeding heart a heart at a loss -- naive unable to cry the tears to seek compassion