Breaths

day 04

how long was I
hidden underneath
the murky shadows?
lingering with
wisps of sorrow
and crumbling against
the shards of a
broken heart.

but when illuminated,
warmth welcomed my
desolate soul by
your hands, oh so
soft and strong and
h o p e f u l.

"you're still here."
my voice sounded little,
fragile, flat, and weary.
and his eyes still had a
unfailing sparkle when
he heard me speak;

as if nothing has
ever changed, as if
i was not bed-ridden
for days and days,
wrapped in snake-like
medicated wires and tubes

he smiled and breathed in,
i tried to do the same, but
oxygen from a large tank
aided me to breathe, with
a pristine hospital smell

"i'm still here," he said,
as if he cannot believe
it himself. he smiles.

"but i don't want to be."
i touched his cheek and
he feels like a summer
day, blooming with red
roses and pine trees.

and the first teardrop
f e l l from my cheek