Heart Break

Short Verse, from a memory of mine

Hearts shatter
Tears well and begin to fall
Chests tighten as though gripped in a vice
Breaths become shallow and rasp
Throats constrict and sounds escape

Knees buckle
Backs slide down the wall
Alone they fight the fall
Seconds, minutes, hours pass

The well of tears run dry
The vice unwinds, the chest eases
Breath begins to flow with regularity
The sounds die away as the throat opens and relaxes its hold

The box of tissues near empty, a soggy pile remains
Legs regain their strength to rise
To face the day again

The heart’s still shattered
The loss is real
The pain will ease with time
Next time will be different she thinks