In The Space Of The Unspoken

©2013 Louise Gallagher

I hear you’ve been fighting
for your life
pushing back against
the disease
that riddles your bones
like acid rain
pockmarking the crystal clear waters
of an alpine lake.

And I remember you
as I used to know you
when life flowed
full force
through your veins
never stopping you
from careening down mountainsides
leaping over obstacles
living larger than large
your body at your demand.

And I see you
as you are today
a shadow of the one
who always shared a joke
who never said die
and for whom death is
now
a real and constant
danger
and my heart is heavy
for not knowing
the words.

In the space of the unspoken
I give you my heart
and take away my silence
from this place
where words defy me.