At the very least

You admit that you're delicate and

that's what makes you strong, she said.

What brings the human out from this cold shell

is the interest one takes in something outside of oneself.

One day I will leave behind all that is necessary, but

today I am grateful to know what I should do, she said.

What if the shell is cold because it is empty, and what if

there is nothing but fear and loathing; better to stay encased.

Don't forget, I am with you always, she said.

You are with me when I am crossing the street, when I am

looking through the glass window of a cafe, when I am laughing

at the way a person eats, when I am wondering how I got here,

lying next to her as she rubs her nose. You are with me.

All night I was tenderized by relentlessly faceless dreams.

Yet in the morning, you are with me.