In the Dark

 In the Dark

I speak her name into the dark

It floats in the air, heat on cold,

Before disappearing into the night. 

I stroke her hair under the gaze 

Of nobody in particular and ask

Myself if she's going to be alright. 

I let her dance to her favorite songs

I don't laugh or fall back on my old

Safety net, half sarcastic- half mean.

I skim over discourse and threads

And refrains most unpleasant

To see if it's safe to let her be seen. 

The answer is no. The devils

Are many and they take and take

Until sweet souls are all broken.

So I sit with her in the darkness

Our breaths held in perpetual wait

Until those words are safe to be spoken.