she stands
.

because she has carried her scars for too long
drowned in her sorrows
too far into unfathomable lands and
uncertain journeys
because you said you’d stay
(oh, you know they never mean it)
.

but she believes
.

you never told her boys like you smoke treachery
so she waited, and she stood right there
where time never seemed to be stopping
you kept on and on and on
she tried to clutch at your silhouette

but even your shadow seemed to be
running, slipping right out of her hands like the soft summer sand.

.
but she smiles
.

and she smiles, but not from her eyes, never from her eyes.
the ends of her lips never reach there

.
but she laughs
.

like the sea that has cradled the tears of a million
but her laugh never rings through the air
never whistles like the autumn winds
it never surrounds her
she laughs because she has known the pain of not being able to get back up on feet
because she has spent her nights swimming in her darkness

.
and she breathes
.

like the gushing breeze near the lake down the alley

like the rays of the sun and she breathes because she hopes
and she hopes for you.