sinking (poem)

when the breath is lost

and the sinking continues

the sinking stays

does the water heal as well as I was taught?

or did this loss leave behind a betrayal

the water doesn't heal

the stars don't twinkle

the joy has left my life

the ears aren't perking up at the sounds of tortillas browned on the stove

the hallways are no longer lined with photographs

the couches aren’t stacked in stuffed bears and dolls 

the air is cold year round

a grief sized hole through the center of chests

pendulums just to remind you- it hurts

to know

to remember

to realize

they're still gone after a deep breath

3/23