Wrinkled hands stitching flowers on a quilt,

Calloused fingers typing out a report.

Little brown toes in warm grainy sand,

Bright blue hair bobbing to the sound.

Endless lives played out in endless ways,

But in the end we all bleed the same.

The facade of happiness,

Betrayed by a lonely tear.

A crooked smile,

Hiding the immense fear.

Of time apart,

Of time wasted,

Of words unsaid,

And breaks unmended.

Alas.

Regret

The parrot

Occupying the shoulder

Of my brain.

Reciting everything I've done

Wrong.

Rehashing all that could go

Wrong.

Echoing the same things

Wrong

With me.

I'm seasick.

I was aware of your ways,

Even when we met.

But you twisted my soul 

'Round your calloused finger,

Still you hold my love hostage

Not even twinging with regret. 

regret

like a kiss paused mid- way,

two people of almosts

broken apart

by the air that shivered

and grew too cold

to house a festering, 

old love.