through the softest of hours
among the infinite array
i held him
with aching simplicity
and too soft words
my voice became something... less
blending into the shadows
my heart beat so quietly
it froze every wish
into dust touched forgotten corners

i lost myself
somewhere i can't remember
the fabric of everything tore away
and i trembled as i felt it fly from me
beyond my overly soft reaching
empty hands full of scars
daydream stains wrapping my fingers

i faded faster than smoke rings
amidst the invisible chaos
yet still stood with broken legs
smiling with a practiced calm warmth
there really is nothing else to be done
when you fall and shatter
when there is no one there
to see it

the pieces refit from memory
almost gathering with tenacity to survive
clasping with a sort of desperation
ragged edges folding gently
the hairline cracks become almost hidden
it becomes art
this dancing in and out of existence

one whisper of beauty from his lips
with it i can almost find her
this butterfly he gave wings to
shimmering through the fractures
perched breathless and hopeful
along my uneven edges
but he is becoming comfortable
in my acquiescent embrace

the hours slip by like smoke
each minute painting me more obscure
my arms are becoming ghostlike
as my voice is tucked away
in unshed tears of lost shining
a hummingbird with a heartbeat caught
between breezes