A Key Without a Lock

A key without a lock
The sound of metal on metal
Harsh
Unyielding

I carry my phone like a talisman
A different kind of power
Something to hold when the hands go restless

The bike waits outside
Patient
Still within range of where I left myself

The candle has been burning too long
Warmth on my skin anyway
I stand still and let it be warmth

Some things just stay
Not because they're meant to
Because I haven't moved them

A memory that won't die is just a memory that loves you back wrong
A touch of hope for tomorrow is still a touch

I am still here
In the apartment above the bakery
Breathing in bread and wax and the particular silence of almost-morning

No need to unlock what was never closed

--Vera