Val Murah | + Follow Poet |
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Somewhere Between Fall and Falsehood

Her chin was resting between her knees
Her fingers were running smoothly through the sand
She didn’t notice my arrival
She just sat, staring out at the ocean

I could hear the drop of the hallowed cave
It echoed and faded at the foot of the fissure
The natural awning shielded us from the sun
As the waves lapped slowly at her feet and not much further from mine

“What a view,” I said, resting my weight against the rocky walls
She looked up at me as if coming from a dream
For a minute, she just sat there looking wretched 
Heavy-handed, droopy mouth, bags under her eyes
But then she managed a smile; a weary smile
I returned it, then looked off at the ocean
The waves disappeared behind the horizon
And the sun fixed its reflection across the seascape

“Why are you here?” she asked with the effort of true curiosity
Squinting her eyes and pressing her face above her mouth
She’d been staring at the sun again
She could probably scarcely see me

I forced a smile and sat down close beside her
“The sun’s not going to help you, you know,” I said matter-of-factly
I continued to look at her as she buried her face in her legs again
Her dirty blonde hair wafting with the wind like meteor showers

“I know,” she said, muffling her speech
Looking away for a minute, I turned back to see her with tears in her eyes
“But what else will?” she genuinely asked, and softly sobbed
My mouth hung loose at her irregular directness 
Eventually catching myself, I put my arm around her shoulder
“I will.  We all will,” I said and smiled once again
In doing so she then relaxed her head on my shoulder
And for those few minutes, believed me fully

Somewhere deep within, she knew the truth though
And it would remain there, no matter how comforting my lies got

Copyright © Val Murah | Year Posted 2007

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