They scatter, fall
Lose their way
Their lives uncertain
Full of disarray

They’ve taken risks
Leading them astray
Every decision a regret
They’ll now have to pay

They can’t go on
To start a new day
Unkind words leave them
In misery and dismay

Their agony is contagious
So we keep them at bay
Then they vanish forever
As their souls fade away

We cry out in anguish
Looking for a ray
But they’re gone for good now
There is nothing left to say

© 2019 Michelle Cook

*I wrote this yesterday as I thought about all the people around us who suffer alone every day.  We may not understand exactly what our friends are going through, or how to help them, but a simple word of kindness is all it often takes to make a difference in somebody’s life.  So I urge you to reach out to someone today.  You could be the one to save their life without even knowing it.  I’ve had friends do this for me; they never even knew how much their words meant to me, but they were everything in those moments when I was lost and felt like giving up.  Please don’t ignore your friends; they need you… ~M xo