A little to the left
she falls down and won't stop
she takes a pill, then two, to sleep
to still the crying in her heart
breaking over changes
she has no control
she will topple, she will slide
it will hurt, she is not afraid
ignored, unrequited, unattached, uninvited
she lingers in the corridor
listening for voices, that will welcome
but do not
this will not happen
she is not an engineer, rising star, brilliant, beautiful
she is not the mother, the live-in lover, the life partner
she is not **** enough, she does not try to please him, delight him enough
she wanders away from the word
hoping to leave it unheard
move into a new room
where the lights are warm
and the sound of her name being called
is gentle, a sigh of relief and a little yearning
maybe she will open that door now
before she is too old
her eggs gone cold
please, please, please
love her soon