spell broken

Fear circles, attached to nothing,
floating there like it belongs, an untouchable shadow.
I reach for word following word,
tears prick the back of my eyes,
I feel the universe stretching out endlessly,
and time – the never knowing one minute to the next
but pretending I do – has a voice, faintest whisper.
Her message is a mystery.
But hovering, nameless fear is only cold seeping in through cracks (an unwelcome stranger).
The rooms of my house are bright,
a warm fire burning on the hearth.
I’ll put on an extra poem,
stretch old Mary’s quilt across my lap,
set down my pen
and listen to the crackling.