Inevitable Unity

We are a sea of bodies
each on a mysterious
winding path
We are a sea of souls
no separation
no names
We could reach each other
I stretch my right arm
heavenward
a ballerina
seeking
I am a line
a wisp of smoke
bending
in morning’s
first light
a breath
over and over
day after day
until the veils
are thin
as vapor
What do you see
Long brown curls
green eyes
a smile between syllables
See beyond
ache to reach
what supports
my breath
carries yours
connects us
What do we risk
by not
by hiding
behind
imaginary barriers
pretending
we are
each an island
that another’s story
is not woven
into our own
On my way to a writing group
I walked past despair in flesh
her crumpled form convulsing
in a broken down vestibule
in a forgotten neighborhood
where cars make quick stops
Her head tucked in knees
like arrows gathered in shredded arms
wasting away
shaking
shaking
shaking
I continued
along shattered sidewalks
my tears a stream of sorrow
Where are we?
I closed my eyes
I ached
I reached for her
Through emptiness I cried out, “O God! What can I do?!”
My soul rocked like a child seeking comfort
I went cold
Dusk came on
I stepped inside the library
blinded
by a familiar light
She lives in me now
a constant reminder
we must love
without walls
I am never alone