Desert Dweller

feels like drowning.

smothering in tears,
isolated, gasping, lost,
trapped
in inescapable darkness.

searching, not finding
lost spirit,
gone to a different plane,
now invisible except for memories.

your laughter persists,
stirring up profound feelings,
sensations of love, warmth,
an enduring bond.

recalling chili-infused flavors,
scent of fragrant spices
of that meal, with you,
by the fire, on that cold winter day.

fading echoes, glimmers,
lingering shadows—
all that remain
of your once-sparkling soul.

feels like drowning.

hearing only relentless roaring tides
of my own sorrow.
tasting only salty bitterness
of my own tears.

© 2025 Bruno Talerico
Stafford challenge 269/365.