How could I count the nights you stayed awake
envious of the moon’s glow?
As midnight traced its serenity
into the quarters of your mind,
the deep earth bellowed to you
begging a return.
Remember how you wanted to rest
intertwined in the mangled roots?

You sat on the shore
while the waves tugged at your legs
cradling you back and forth
tempting you into the blue
as you grabbed at the sand
but could not find a rock to hold you steady.
Remember when the wind sent howling blades
that hollowed out your chest
and the saltwater dried out your voice?

With hollowed eyes,
as deep as the shadowed caverns you seeked refuge in
you searched for blooming flowers
in dying fields.
Remember how you refused to walk
even while the weighted sand
pulled you deeper?