The Ritual Of The Smitten & Anguished

The sheets smell like tangerines and cherries

Grief and despair along with freshly washed hair

The evening sunlight shows fingerprints and dust on the glass

There is a windy shadow of a couple dancing while the depressed lie napping

One eye opens---stares at the wallpaper

Until the moon is synced up with the ocean

Emotions rising from aches in bellies while cigarettes are smoked

Questions are asked but all of the answers are broken

Hardwood floors are cool enough to cause shivers even in this weather

A summer can lose its heat if there's nothing to hold on to

Eventually fingers relay the messages that lips are too exhausted to speak

Nods become an understood conversational piece

Hot baths make the cold skin gasp

The bathroom door stays cracked

Pink toes and nose afloat send out signals for the worrier to relax

Trading places as moods shift but never seeking replacements

Adjustment periods have become like blinking to them

The ritual of the smitten and anguished