Inescapable Oneness

We are a sea of bodies

each on a mysterious path

We are an ocean of souls

no separation

We could reach each other

I stretch my arms

heavenward

seeking hope

day after day

until the veils

are thin

as vapor

What do you see

Long brown curls

green eyes

a ready smile

See beyond

ache to reach

what supports

my breath

carries yours

connects us

Why do we

hide

behind

imaginary barriers

pretending

we are

each an island

that another's story

is not woven

into our own

On my way to writing group

I walked past despair in flesh

her crumpled form convulsing

in a broken-down vestibule

in a forgotten neighborhood

where cars make quick stops

Her head tucked in knees

arrows gathered in her shredded arms

wasting away

shaking

shaking

shaking

I continued

along shattered sidewalks

my tears a sorrow stream

Where are we?

I closed my eyes

ached

reached for her

heart to heart

Through emptiness I cried

O God! What can I do

Dusk descended

I stepped inside the library

blinded

by a familiar light

She lives in me now

a constant reminder

we must love

without walls

I am never alone