Cold and broken, sitting like stone in

A coffin of ill design.

Traces of shadows, broken, dance upon

that shattered face of

Ice and broken veins. If danced once,

Your heart, then it it would

Ride a thousand beats of

Lover's flames.

There's nothing there, no pain no malice.

Nothing but that

Frozen waste of twisted hearts

And broken promises.

If ever laugh had passed those lips

Of steel, then heaven

Would reel upon that golden axis

And flicker, dead.

Silence. Pitiless and cold. There

Is nothing holding sway

But the ticking of the dial in the

faded light of dawn.

Blink upon the light of the sun

And turn that face to

Cool in the shade of night.

You shall never melt.

Sitting in a 10x10 room. There are 7 of us. 4 chairs and a table with 2 magazines.

Everyone around me is giggling and laughing tying to make light of a very heavy situation.

I'm sitting on the floor. I feel as though I'm just a fly on the wall. There antics are not funny to me. Their mirth just irritates me.

I have tunnel vision. It's as if they are just a fog surrounding me.

My son has just confessed to every crime he has been accused of.

I am numb. I can barely breathe much less smile. The defense attorneys summon me outside the 10x10 box.

They ask me, "would you like an opportunity to talk to your son? You do understand he will be going away for a very long time".

Emotionless I gaze into their eyes and answer, "yes. Please."

They lead me into a room where I see my son sobbing on the other side of the glass. His head in his arms.

I place my hand on the glass hoping he would reach out. I sit and watch him cry, tears streaming down my face. He looks up and repeatedly says, "I'm sorry Mom, I'm sorry Mom, I'm sorry mom..." And puts his head back down. I said, "son. Look at me."

My hand still on the glass. He looks up.

I said, "son, I forgive you."

He shakes his head as more tears stream down his face.

Then his hand rests on the glass against where mine is.

We keep our hands there in an attempt to feel a hug. This is our goodbye.

I reminded him that I love him, as I walk out of the room sobbing through my tunnel that I can barely see a few feet in front of me. Back into the room of mirth where I sit quietly, agelast.