Apart

The walls of space surrounding,

The veiling masks between,

The eyes distrustful, scanning,

The hopeful go unseen.

The months of days unending,

The stifled, muffled tones,

The pit in every stomach,

The gnawing in the bones.

The hunching weight of worry,

The longing for some end,

The hunger for the smiling,

The need to see a friend.

The screen a glassy bandage,

The call through window barred,

The distance deeply graving,

The voices worn and hard.

The breathing through the breaking,

The winter bor...