Rose Water

Photo Courtesy of Max Pixel

Words of affirmation sit

On my shoulders and tremble

My hands shake and hands grip my heart

Short breaths

Of anxiety

And then a cold stare

A heartless, thoughtless remark

Snide

I tried didn’t I —

Didn’t I notice

When they were lost and alone

Felt a failure

Forgot they were

Enough —

I reminded them

But today, like most days

I wasn’t

And I sit in warm water scented with roses, wondering how they’d miss me.