The world ended today

You may not have realized

But my own sense of loss tells me so

There is a deep blackness

That engulfs me

Heavy and cold

A palpable absence of joy

The world is still, frozen

A rictus of trees and people

Of quiet sunlight and unflapping wings

I wake as if sleeping

No hunger, no desire

No way to claw myself out of this pit

But you say the world has not ended

That outside it is bright and joyous

That even today the world goes about its business

Like it always has

And someday I will join it

That still today the sun shines

That still today, the birds can be heard outside the window