12:15

Virgil Taylor

It is 12:15 am

I stare at the screen of my phone,

the light burning my eyes.

I stay awake,

Thinking of you-

Of what could have been,

Of what never would be.

It is 1:30 am

I am still awake.

Thoughts of you haunt me-

The smell of you,

Your smile,

Your laugh (infectious, spreading like a disease).

You may have been luminous,

But you were a deadly trap.

It is 2:45 am

Sleep evades me still.

Despite everything,

I wish you were here with me-

The both of you,

Burning warmth in the night,

Would have banished this cold.

It is 3:22 am

I have accepted it-

That I can never go home,

That you’ve left me behind.

At least until the next time I can’t sleep-

Stuck reminiscing about a long-buried past.

I wonder if you think of me as well.