Submitted by Sam Rose
these are not tales of wanting to be close
but tales of need
tales of nothing else will do
tales of we are losing anyway
I tail off when we try to make sense
of what is happening
when all we have is positivity all the while
listening to others complaining about
the mundane, the unimportant, taking
suggestions from people who have
no idea pretending to make notes
in my invisible notebook – my no-book
wearing an invisible grimace as they speak
they don’t have to travel an hour to
talk to an expert, they don’t have to prepare
their bodies for impact, their brains for
impact, their nerves to be wracked
but we pretend that is okay
all the while wanting – no, needing –
to get away, to return home,
wherever home may feel today –
home is where I can tell these tales
before we trail off and stare into space
lost together but tied together
in the want – no, the need –
to be close.
About the Poet
Sam Rose is a writer and editor from Northamptonshire, England. She is the editor of Peeking Cat Poetry Magazine and The Creative Truth. Her work has appeared in several literary magazines. Sam is a cancer survivor and primarily uses her experiences with this to write poetry and memoir.
Painting: The Lovers – Henri Martin
Vita Brevis Press. 
Reading this, I realize that I am gifted with the mundane, without the burden of suffering, and it makes me wonder more about the state of those around me and about how connected – or disconnected – I may be.
I like the sense of urgent, but measured pacing in this. Is that a thing? Like watching time passing and wanting to hold it back?
There is such strong emotional need to connect here. I especially like your ending,
“lost together but tied together
in the want – no, the need –
to be close.”
Beautiful.
Thank you Ali, I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
Closeness is a need in all of us. As poets, we hope to fulfill this need. Well done Sam, and welcome to the Vita Brevis family!
Thank you, Walt – happy to be here!
You’re very welcome 🙂