I had almost forsaken conversation1
but my longing was stronger than my fear,
and the ache of my heart2
drew me out of my retreat
so I could feel once again
the connection,3
and share what I could of myself
with a companion, or several, or many,4
who, knowing darkness,
shed light.
—————————————————————–
1(from fear of the things I might say,
for fear that my attempts to bridge the gap
might somehow widen the distance,
or deepen the space
between our eyes)
2(at the hollow where voices once rang,
since filled with echoes fading
with distance and heavy with time)
3(that circuit of eyes that revives
and redeems,
the clear understanding
that brightens the dark and lonely way)
4(with any and all of the children here,
struggling, like me,
to retain or redeem themselves)
