ode to a broken friend

in a cold cold city

we were frozen in time

at a school with creaking benches

full of sorrow

and raindrops

from clouds that came and went

across a gray silent sky

in a dark lonely corner

we were frozen in time

filling empty shadows with foggy breath

and mascara tears

from tired eyes

dripping

flowing

soaking

frayed hems of schoolgirl sweaters

wiping away the blurry spiderweb lines

in our own stormy world

we were frozen in time

she was drowning, gasping, dying

and i held her up

with leaky faucet eyes

and weak arms

trying to squeeze the broken parts

of my beautiful child

together

in the whirlwinds of our brains

we were frozen in time

tossed and dazed by flashing memories

of people that have gone away

of tears that stained the backs of eyes

night skies

wind-blown hair

echoes of fading laughter and song

in the face of endless pain

we were frozen in time

in a battlefield holding us captive

one full of aching bruises

that the world refused to see

a battlefield we could never leave

but it became easier to fight

the longer we stayed

and when you were nothing to the world

you were something to me

(i love you)

(don't give up)