she could
fold herself

become a box
with a lock

and swallow
the key

so no one
could access

her secrets
she was scared

what would
happen if

they got out
I wasn’t afraid

but the risk
was too great

for her to trust me

the moment a belief dies suddenly
a foundation
of your structure collapses
something you held tightly
and defended fiercely disappears
it was one of those nights
the day was emotional
and I was by myself
buried in blankets
trying to create warmth
and comfort
something to hold onto
my mind was crushing itself
tearing like paper
into so many pieces
becoming confetti
I could not digest anything
the words would not stay down
I was learning to speak
a new language
that I did not understand

he lived in the
deep place

where darkness
edged out light

by a little
but he thought

it was a lot

there was pain
in his soft voice

the pain of too
many ******

the loss of
blood grew

slowly so his
impending death

was not obvious
to most

as his words
hid their meaning

from most

a human body
toned as
an instrument
to create a
perfect note
a perfect
movement
connected to
the world
only by her toes
and when she
leaps I feel
the earth move
as if she is
holding it
together with
only her toes
and I am witnessing
the collapse
of the world that
only stops when
she gracefully
lands on her toes

she holds my hand
when I cry

and strokes my head
gently like
a cat asleep
in her lap

she says I am
her sensitive fool

her court crier

feeling more than
I should

more than anyone should
shedding tears she

can’t

her position won’t
allow it

she says I keep
her soft enough

to lead humanity

I think these are
the most important
words for this world

at the center of
every soul is

this seed
the need

to forgive
and be forgiven

please open it
and let it grow

let it spread
let it be a virus
let it be a ****

anything that spreads
easily into others

and across the world

she is so young

that she believes
the stars when

they shine

she has not
seen many

dark nights so
each one

seems new
each one is

a lesson
she learns

because that
is what the

young do