Grief
by Lorraine Dauphin
Feeling my body sliding down.
I hear only the whispers from a lifetime ago.
Warmth and light escape me.
The now familiar panic comes.
But it’s not the companion I long for.
Flailing is a useless endeavor.
For one foot is tied to unspoken devotions
The other is tethered to loneliness.
Down, down, down I slide.
Suddenly I surface.
Calm is restored
by a favorite song.
Our song.
I can breathe again.
All is quiet. For now.