by Tyler G. Freitas (Featured in Dewplicitous)
In memory of Alaina Housley
The road to Napa is reddened by racoon roadkill.
A herd of cows are grazing in the green hills.
Rows of grapes are growing in every direction –
Glasses fill with rosé, sparkling wine, whites, reds;
a dull, numbness spreads across my head –
the sun burns off the clouds and bathes my skin;
kindling a fire in the depths of my being; seeing
clearly for the first time in months – the fragility
of our existence –
a drop of dew suspended atop a dandelion;
gravity pulling everything toward the center
of the earth – then what? Are we floating free?
If a tragedy takes one of the greatest loves of our lives,
smashing our heart – leaving us shattered on the floor –
what will we live for?
What will make us get out of bed and face the red road,
which was pristine mere moments ago?
