i slept
like a stone skipping
across a pond
brief splashes
before waking
and trying
so hard to trace
the edge of dreams
where i was actually
a part of something
instead of staring
into the darkness
aware of how empty
the cusp of
desperation
truly is.

taping together
the fragments
to sketch a haphazard
vista where
smiles aren’t part of
a disguise needed
to make it through
another day alone.

the fire rages
in my mechanical heart
even as my skin
is cool to the touch
i seethe and boil
in hazel tinted longing
as my mind
skips over the surface
leaving concentric rings
with hastily scrawled
declarations of love
before sinking
beneath the surface
another earnest offering
untouched by dream.