loneliness

by

all the lonely people…

as if
things weren’t
bad enough
a pandemic
leaving
blank page
days
as
the daily fare
a forced diet
of
silence
it’s
not that
i
crave
wordy
desserts
piled high
with
nonsensical
phrases
of
sweet compliments
or
mundane platitudes
used
to
fill the empty void
of
uncomfortable social silence
no
what
i’m concerned about
are
the
mind locked people
sitting alone
well
stranded
at
home
with nothing more
than
netflix
or
appletv
as
their companion
as
entertaining
as
that may be
it isn’t
a substitute
for
feeling the pulse
of
another human
either
kinesthetically
or
metaphorically
through
their eyes
no
it’s
father mckenzie
writing words
of
a sermon
no one
will hear
nor
care
about
it’s
the sadness
of
forced solitude
where
even the start
of
the new day
offers
little
hope

 

by

nugatory ​slumber…

in the night
when you reach
and
the warmth
is gone
the day’s words
of
sincere sympathy
seem
as empty
as
the pillow
besides
your head
and
when sleep
finally comes
night’s
cold arms
all too soon
embrace
each dream
and
memory
of
another’s soul
curled
next
to yours