Alone, now

i’m not supposed to be 
here 
and you are not supposed to
stay
it’s made clear you’ve left long ago 
but as you can 
see
we are never quite on the same 
page

i bleed alone, now, and carry
myself 
i’ve sheltered me better, to tether 
my health; with the alter
removed
and a taste of your truths, I can 
wash away the stain
you’ve become

~ A. L. Stippich