Empathy

In the curve of her back I could see her pain
and that her very light was dimmed,
as if her spirit had withdrawn a little from her body
As she turned her face to me,
Her skin opaque and shadowed
Her eyes dark and hooded,
I needed no words to know
that she was closing in on herself to shut down her distress and overwhelm.
So I sat with her and held the space,
knowing that’s what she needed right then.
Calm companionship
The wordless knowing of one who has been through the same.
Eventually we talked a little and as we did
I shone a gentle light of reason on her experience
Hoping it would illuminate it in a way she would find helpful.

As I sat with her some more and watched her integrate what she had seen,
her light crept back
Into her body, into her skin,
her eyes no longer hooded
And when suddenly she laughed her loud braying laugh,
I knew her pain was resolved.

For this time anyway.