slipping around automobiles parked on the street
waiting patiently as their owners sleep

with visions filling their heads of things they never dared
colors they hear and monsters they can scare
they feel it all
breath by breath
shadow by shadow

known by the worm who separates despite being hurt
known by the worm who eats and makes the dirt
it feels it all

counting before branches lose their leaves and apples
spotting the ground like graves behind chapels

as a way to prepare for the inevitable
proclaiming something unforgettable
you feel it all
breath by breath
shadow by shadow

silence for a hand still warmer from its last touch
silence for a head which has spoken too much

holding onto the numbers making the clock count down
for the bold the weak the lost and the found

keeping them as a testament to all the others
that their precious time and death are brothers
and someday
they too
will feel it all
breath by breath
shadow by shadow

a tiny gentle breath with my head underwater
taught me that math won't make me smarter
i felt it all