The Chords

on the days that i feel more
vividly than the rest,
the ache in someone's story,
the sadness carried in their chest,
resounds in mine,
echoes,
when they press, i play
it, too,
the chords that kept themselves
from dying, come alive
in a familiar tune

in shaking hands and haunting
dreams and ringed eyes from nights
of no sleep, i take a deep
breath and i choose
my words as carefully
as i can

on those days,
my hollow sings, it soothes
with empathy to their wounds and maybe
alone
we cannot endure this, but together,
we can pull through.

~

RNH