I.S.O.L.A.T.E.

In solitude I have found freedom

to discover truths buried and blemished.

Silence blares louder than siren screams,

a reminder that danger is still our neighbor,

and ignorance is still our enemy,

but hope is still our friend.

Our heart breaks for the breathless,

and as tears roll like raindrops down my window,

they dig deep valleys in my cheeks.

I close my eyes and make this solemn request:

Love, please wrap us tight in your arms,

and hold us in an embrace everlasting.

Shower me with light and peace, so that I

may carry carry slivers of sunshine even in the shadows.

As the days become one, may we also.

Through the angst of our loneliness,

may we celebrate the togetherness of

our resilient spirits that dance despite despair.

This season of sadness may drag like

cigarette puffs and linger like smoke.

But when it clears, we emerge —

as brothers, sisters and survivors.

Every new morning is reason to rejoice, and

every moment passed is a blessing called life.