He Cries

tears glisten like distant stars
unreachable galaxies
alone
in the quiet of space

dead planets remind him of his grandmother and
ex-girlfriends

he cries for them
and for a dachshund that used to pee on the floor
excited to see him

days pass as if they were murder trials
long
meticulous
and emotionally draining

the verdict is always guilty
and nights play out a prison sentence
hard time behind bars

he cries for a dream
elusive
if not
impossible

for a woman whose hand he held once
for just a moment

for an island they never escaped to
for the ship he would've needed to sail them there

left only with an anchor
cast not in iron
but in regret

time burdens with memories
both good and bad

his heart begins to stink
like a hamper full of dirty socks

his guts boil
with anger and self-loathing

he cries for the love he once felt
and for the disgust that has taken its place

for horoscopes
and fortune cookies
that never came to be

the future is a monster under a bed
and a killer around a corner

suffocating with fright
he writes a poem as if it was his last breath

the pen becomes oxygen
becomes everything
becomes escape

arranging pieces of the English language
in order to tell a story
convey an image

through a poem he breaks through prison walls
dead planets return to life
and impossible dreams come to fruition

through a poem his tears become a pair of wings
and in sadness
he takes flight