by Matt Aspin (Painting: “Muse” by Len YewHeng)

My beloved who knows my soul’s song,

Abandons me

Alone with the demons, alone with the pain

All of my own creations

No lifeline, no cheers,

no cliched advice

Not this time. Too many. Not this week or even next night.

Nowhere to hide from the deafening tone of reality’s harshness of light

She knows I need to find my love for self, for life, for pain.

And when it’s found, she’ll reappear to enjoy it’s sweet refrain.