Shared Edges
I see her there, living on the fringe,
A woman with eyes that plead and cling.
"Coffee?" she mumbles, lost in her haze,
On the edge of need, a tightrope she braves.
In that moment, I understand,
The abyss that looms at her command.
Hunger, loneliness, addiction, entwined,
These edges we walk, precariously inclined.
A simple "yes" could set it off,
An avalanche of loss, a desperate cough.
We navigate each other's fragile threads,
Aware that on the fringe, one step misled...
One slip, and you're lost in the air,
The edge vanishes, no way to repair.
Here, where hope and despair intertwine,
We dance on edges, teetering blind.
So, I walk on, giving a quiet prayer,
For her fight under the sun's burning glare.
Knowing my “no” might give her another day,
This side of the edge, where she may survive.