The Empath Inn

I have so much sadness

down deep in my heart

and so much joy beside it.

I know I have stopped feeding my soul

so it must be everything around it.

The trees, the land

The sky, the family

The friends, the poor

The hungry, the lonely.

Any little space where sadness has been kicked out

is dangerous for someone like me

because the thing about human pain

is that it's almost never felt.

This hardened sadness

needs somewhere to go...

and heart's like mine are

designed like a motel.

A flickering light stays on at all times

letting folks know;

"Here's a safe space to hide.

Please, stay awhile.

I'll take your coat, have a smoke-

It's the closest thing I have to love."

The hard part is not the complementary love

given away at the door.

It's when the lonely leaves,

so do they

and I am left

to hold the pain.

n.f