You’re gone

but the night they called, it

couldn’t have been true

I sat by the door waiting for one hour

then two

then three then four then five

‘till I went up to bed and

knew that I’d just see

you in the morning

The second night without you I

faced the dark alone and

asked you to come back

I’d be better,

I promised

I’d pamper you and cherish you

and love you outside

as much as I did in

And I fe...

It was so quiet it hurt.

She hadn’t been somewhere this silent for four years, besides the mass cremations every other day. They’d given ten seconds of pause to honor the fallen before getting back to war. It was all they could afford.

And now it was over. They’d won. Drinks were flowing, freedom songs being belted out as loud as possible, as people laughed and cried with relief. But she couldn’t ...

A tentative first

smile is how it begins,

Their hearts skip a beat,

palms meet and fingers entwine

and for a time, it’s perfect...

I sat next to you

a year ago

on the loud and crowded bus, your friends horsing around

behind us.

We shared laughter but never

words and yet

I was happy.

Did you feel it too?

I passed you in the hall months

ago on our way

to class.

We were surrounded

by waves of

people and I

looked at them all but

saw only

you.

Did you see me too?

Weeks ago I dreamt of sunlight, a

carpet of color

and fragrance

an...