Poetry is the site of salvation

where the unquiet find their peace,

despondent insomniacs find kindred spirits

as despair and joy give way to a shared silence.

Poetry is a candlelit vigil

commemorating our damaged souls,

 giving dignity to the grotesque,

Arranging sound and image,

until a warmth settles in-between abdomen and chest.

Poetry rescues the dehydrated

With whispered words of compassion.