Your fingers envelope

my palm,

crunch of

pebble on pavement,

–—exhale.

Loneliness is greedy,

gulping air thick

and silent.

How does it work,

my being

with you and

yet needing

needing other

companionship too?

A friend who loves you

who loves me who loves you

who loves me who loves you

who loves me

who loves me.

I am not okay here,

my lungs

compressing,

my mouth

gasping in

this static void

love me

love me

where you are not.

—jennifer j. camp