[Header Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash]

i didn’t know
what i was doing

it was like
falling through the ice

when you didn’t know
you were walking on a frozen lake

and the last thing
you heard before sinking

slipped out of your mind
because of the shock

frigid water pulling you
into darkness and forgetting

you should have known
(you whisper over my shoulder)

and i suddenly realize
the stiffness of my fingers

even as i am awash
with the urge to touch your skin

i turn to reach for you
silhouetted by a setting sun

i should have known
what i was doing

—P.L. Thomas