How It Will Always Be
Suddenly the
isolation
closes in.
Still, he
can’t bear
to hear
people talk.
Although maybe
that’s what
he needs,
maybe that
would be
all it
would take
to push
him back
into himself,
to be
in a
room full
of people.
What he’s
longing for
is the
touch of
a woman’s hand,
fingers stroking
his cheek,
something
wordless &
brief that
would last
a lifetime.
Somewhere out
there unreachable
is his
counterpart,
& knowing
this is
what brings
on the
loneliness.
Each time
this happens
he feels
he can’t
go on,
but he
always does.