Floating in the space between our truths
We hold hands, interlocking our fingers
As if pure will can keep us from drifting apart
But you and I both know that being together
Is so much more than breathing in the same
Atoms and molecules, swapping secrets, fluids
Sometimes I wonder if we were ever in the
Same place at the same time or if we just
Confused each other’s flesh for presence
Footprints in the sand like breadcrumbs
Each groove shallower than the one before
Our ghosts swallowed up by the riptide
Maybe if we had met earlier or perhaps later
The galaxies would have aligned for us or
Taught us how to find fulfillment in shadows
All that is speculation, stalling the fallout
Neither of us particularly eager to pinch our
Noses, tip the vial, taste the nightshade
Gazing into your eyes, I see an empty crypt
Your loosening grip grants me permission
Drop the ampul, forget the friar, join the living
Kat Stubing was born into the sticky heat of summer and has been searching for the right words ever since. She received her BA in Media from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and went on to take sketch writing classes at Upright Citizens Brigade. Her poems have been published in Beyond Words, Allegory Ridge, TheClosed Eye Open, and Hare’s Paw, among others. When she’s not writing, Kat likes to watch reality television and contemplate the vastness of the universe. Kat lives, works, and plays in New York City. You can find her at katjoys.squarespace.com and on Twitter @katjoyst.