I never feared the darkness
only the cold that can come with it

how disconnection mercilessly extends time

how some people refuse to look you in the eye
though they said they were dying to see you

how some lifetimes hammer you with pitiful illusions
until your heart rings back with the clink of an iron lock

how winter on the streets kills

No, it’s not the darkness I’ve feared
– the dark can be so fecund and full of treasures –
it’s the cold that whips in too much space between us