I Watched You Crumble

I Watched You Crumble

a collapsed man in a ball of misery;
curled into oblivion
clutching the bedclothes in desperation.
The ball began to rock, quiver,
and then,
the keening began.

I heard a sound, which scathed my ears,
smashed my wincing mind, mangled my face.
It shredded my heart, solidified my throat
and seeped from my eyes in empathy;
an unbearable sound slicing the night of death.

I watched you crumble...

helplessly
and hopelessly inadequate,
I watched you cry.

© Catherine Knee