Two children

She can see him, but only just
His back is turned to her
She's waiting behind for him to forget all but their game
It's his turn to catch her

She's reading the signs
The facial hair, the spoken words, the quiet when he's alone
She has to run through the night to catch up with him.

She imagined they'd always be together
In their secret world of wonky eyes and fingers and toes
The brash stubborn boy who made her feel unafraid
In her eyes he was beautiful.
But he's leaving her to hold her own,
No more to laugh and hope as two children would.

They were one and the same
Now his hands don't care for her tired tears,
The tenderness is almost gone.

She wipes her eyes and grits her teeth
Falsely believing she can be brave and face the storm
But her world is no longer pure
The darkness only wraps around her and closes her heart to the world.