I once thought not breathing came
in rasping gasps,
in sudden, fleeting moments;
when the air becomes lead,
and your lungs laden with mercury.

that was before you left.

this endless Vacuum
rips apart whole universes.
it is as if you have siphoned Existence,
leaving nothing but the wispy trails of a dying star
on descent
to the ground.

observe my palm.
it holds asteroids,
where there once were planets.

observe my eyes.
they are black holes,
where there once were galaxies.

feel my heart – place your hand against my chest.
it is still beating.
this is the Core of the Universe;
and it will continue to pulse for you,
even if you have long stopped listening
for its rhythms.