Although science, with sterile wisdom
declared her not a person;
a heartbeat argued defiantly

for a night. We visit the cemetery
alone. Hands entwined, minds
in different hemispheres;
hearts mangled. In a quiet corner

where afternoon sun lingers late
in summer; where gelid moans soften
in winter, we become broken pieces
of something once much stronger.

– Ryan Stone
   First published by Wolf Publishing, June 2015.
   Read more of Ryan’s poetry here.