17.

He said I wish we could

Just escape. I asked where

He would like to go and

He said Don't you know?

Oh don't you know? To

Escape anywhere where

Sometimes some time

Passes and maps become

hands that lead us to

Trainstations and hellicopter

Pads, that lead us to

Something just to get

High on. Then he went

Silent and I could feel

The silence sink in like

The dustbowl swallowing

The plains; white noise

Engulfing my head with

Fearful and uncertain

Whispers eating at my

Ear: there is no rain. And

I could feel my heart start

To weep as his lips parted

And he said the words that

I never wanted to hear, as

He said they're keeping us

apart and I have to jump

Through hoops and leap

Mountains just to be with

You. the dustbowl in my

Head then swallowed my

Whole body and I became

Numb, unsure of what to

Do, unsure of what to say.

I became numb and all I

Could manage was laying

Kiss after longing kiss upon

His forehead, hoping that

If not this one then the next

Would make him change

his words. But they didn't.

They were just butterflies

Swept up in a hurricane of

White noise and dust.

-------------

And for the first time in a long time.... I was scared.