above the mist
below the stars
enveloped in white noise
sipping ice out of a plastic distraction
nail biting and thoughtfully scanning
pages turning with one flick of a worn-out wrist
searching,waiting,knowing
eyes tired from a light night
of pupils glued to a fluorescent screen
a blank, brain dead stare
wasted minutes and wasted breath
still silence welcoming me into the night

he reads a book growing thicker with each glance
words evaporating into thin air as he devours
Lay people would find him your average addition to the world
little do they know he longs for a deeper life
a life away from crossword puzzles
and bitter coffee
a world where the stains on his shirt
and the scars on his legs
become the stars in the sky

she flies to feel closer to her mother
soaring higher into a realm of calm air
she feels her presence
remembers their days of cloud watching
dancing, twirling, never wavering from serenity
she closes her eyes
and is encompassed with love

our little problems are belittled for a long six hours
in this space, we are unique, vibrant,
alive
above-average, with heads crystal clear
we understand our pain from a place higher up
looking down at our world, we are freed
unattached
stones, pebbles, bricks having sat adamant on our chests
rusting with the aging of time
and years spent trying to repair but stumbling back
in defeat
are lifted with a steady hand
return, not resignation

restoration of faith and a wary smile