Phyllis

I think I know what you were feeling,
Though your thoughts remain a mystery.

When my heart does not want to smile,
And my thoughts turn inward,
It is time to be alone with them
And the ticking of the clock.

If I were younger, I would be crying.
But now there is only a tired sadness,
Without the release of passionate tears.

Staring at the sky outside your window,
No longer reading,
Slowly breathing in the smoke
Of your cigarette,
Time stilled for you.

I am not there yet.
Life continues to call,
And family knocks at my heart's door.

But we shared a knowing
And are sisters, in a way,
Down deep,
Where the currents of life and time
Run beyond word or thought.