you hear people tell you how
lovely you are
you read it, hear it roll off
their tongues.
But what you hear disconnects
somewhere
before the point of
receiving.
It gets near but not in
or in but not through.
You close your eyes
and all
you have is a dark black drum,
beating towards a dark sharp
edge, dragging you away

don't let the down days come,
you're begging yourself. Don't
let it swallow you, don't let it
sink, sting, don't lose yourself.
Your only hope is that you've been this low
before and you can float back to the surface
stay afloat, stay
afloat
you don't have to drown, you can drown the dark days