at mind's end...

made her purchases with tears
and signed off with sighs
she made for breathless buys
and fell for no-return ploys

but when it all came to
and all was awry
she loved him still
and all just for free

even lifting high her gaze
and swallowing back hard
could not a huge knot
in her stomach discard

was it regret?
was it mistake?
even her heart
could not a choice make

only in her head
was a voice shouting run
as far as you can
love is a sore illusion

so what can a girl do
to make a boy see
that she needs to be,
free.

remorse.

An unsettling dream haunted the ghouls of memories past.

A prolonged embrace, a lingering glance... Failure to recognize even that which should have been familiar.

A simple question, from an unknown, jarred my proclaimed peace, and I bit my lip to stabilize myself.

Then I ran, hurriedly, urgently, and called out.

He stopped. Discomfort pervaded his body.

My face was flushed, but my heart - the organ - stayed still.

I let him go in polite and shameful modesty.

The breeze of uncertainty lingered, the strands of cacophony tickling my core... but then it dissipated to hesitation and cowardice.