ashen faces
shocked hearts
the pain was cancerous.
malignant;
we all had tumors then.

it rang three times,
and time was at a stand-still
“may I speak to Robin T. please?”
he was positive
with eyes threatening to spill tears
and we were positive,
for heartbreak.

forget reality
pull out the old guitar
yesterday’s drama,
is today’s C7.
with the sounds come the screams of joy.

there were no last,
no I love you’s
with eyes threatening to spill tears
I watched him deteriorate.
I couldn’t do it without you,
so I played alone
to the House of the Rising Sun.

there were a thousand moments I had taken for granted