Second

The teddy bear is ground
Into the dirt
There is no room for comfort
Not in this world
My fingers bleed
Curled around
The rusted tin and metal
We carry on
Refuse to hear
The bend and snap
Of our spirit
Heavy
Hard
Best neglected
Balled up
In twine and razor wire
Inside
We sigh
Thinking
Back
The trinkets
The shine
All worthless
Then
And
Now
An empty nest
That locked us in
Remember the messages
The stones
I am here
You are there
Any way to get through
To conjure up
Love
I ate my heart
Swallowed it down
With powder and dust
Cleaned the pipes

The breath comes out our throat
In the place where the last people gather
The end of a climb
The light of a snow cap

I hold her tiny hand

The first day passed
The second never ends.