First Edit: Alone Together

[Richard]

First Edit:

Alone Together

Sometimes I try to forget who I was,
but I can't ignore the voices in the wind
who laugh with their children,
each air molecule an invisible smile
only I can see.

I remember I tried to be resilient,
how I tried not to look
when you were sad,
your eyes a hard pond on a snowy day.
I even pretended to sleep
while you cried.

But his room so silent, so still,
struck me worse than any sobbing.

Then one day, I saw a stranger’s face
watching me as I shaved.
One cut became two,
my temptation redder and redder until it drowned.

It wouldn’t be fair
to call this hell,
no demons lurk,
no pitch fork hides in the shadows.
There’s just two people, ruined.


Original:

Alone Together

Sometimes I try to forget who I was,
try to ignore the voices in the wind,
who laugh with their children,
each air molecule a smile.

Sometimes I try not to look
when you’re sad,
your eyes a hard pond on a snowy day.

I used to pretend to be asleep
while you cried.
His room so silent, so still,
pierced worse than sobbing.

Then one day, I saw a stranger’s face
watching me as I shaved.
One cut became two,
my temptation redder and redder until it drowned.

It wouldn’t be fair to call this hell,
there’s no demons lurking,
no pitch fork in the shadows.
There’s just two people, ruined by life.