RETREAT

You stumble into a cold night,
On a back road, checking left and right.
Betrayed by the wind, the moist earth,
Splashing, searching, seeking rebirth.

The birds are gone, your friends too few.
You wish to try to begin anew,
Solution’s too far, with no access,
To fence out that achy loneliness.

The knowledge of defeat’s on your mind,
One gentle good-bye, you’re left behind,
A nod or hello without a chance,
Your labor's lost; farewell romance!

You retreat into your tiny space,
That person you knew now a blurred face,
Tears, names, and words like sorrow or sin
Pour from your pen, you cry within.