and then she said:
I'm fucking sick of this
and toed off her shoes
in the middle of the mess
the broken twigs and scattered leaves left
on the ground

I had to take a closer look
to see the pain inside her eyes
when she started laughing and told me to join
her dance
and silent prayer
for anything to cure that ache
inside her chest

we were running wild
screaming nonsense and singsong words
at the top of our lungs
while the streetlamps enlightened the path
we didn't want to take anymore
and I loved her that very instant
when she softly whispered to me
that secret I had sensed in the way she breathed:
"I hate this place"
but wasn't too sure
if she meant the city, that body or
this entire world

.