At a certain point,

it became clear

that relief must come

at once,

in the form of

a respite,

an unspoken truce —

in the middle of

all that remained

unhealed

and unsettled.

And so I entered

the place beyond thought.

And though the energy

of what was held there

was often intense,

it was always tender

to sink a little

further in,

to be willing

to allow the uneasiness

to be there

and to subside,

to see this place

outside of me —

to be okay

no matter what.