Rise, Fall, Hide Poem by Jess Silva

In the steady stream of moments,
Moments that expand and grow through this desert,
The searing cold burns these feet we walk on,
And the fog that follows us pulls us closer together,
And yet we are further apart,
I rise for you.

Shards of excitement fill this dying organ,
I will hop through this plague of light,
And these palm trees cloud my judgement,
When there are more important opportunities,
I fall away.

The cave bends towards me as I pull away,
And these drops of sea grow smaller,
The parts of anger break up these silent days,
When I walk in the footsteps of you,
I am hiding.

These material objects mean more than flesh,
My fingernails trace the lines,
The pages contain the lives of others,
Eyes are closed, so maybe then we can’t see,
That I am dying.