NEPHART.COM

do leaves wither

without a cause

or do they loosen their grip

when the branch grows tired

does love fade

without a pause

or does it dim slowly

like a room forgetting its light

do plants dance

without wind

or are they answering

a touch we cannot see

does the wind blow

without reason

or is it fleeing

from an unseen fire

why does ketchup

not taste like sauce

why does almost

never taste like enough

if i quit

is it loss

or just a doorway

changing walls

i was born to win

not the race

but the becoming

if i burst

throw me snow

my heart has carried

too much summer

bruised by love

bruised by kindness

still

i trust

i was playing it cool

cool like silence

cool like pretending

i was not running

but you

you ran

you became first

and i

i am still here

learning

how to breathe