her words ran out
and // I wanted to give her more
and couldn’t
and knew it

so I scattered pens
I democratized the lines
to let her complete in the reader’s mind

I saw a veil
where her throat should be
a veil
from before the one that Jesus tore
barely breathing &
peaking out

and behind it all
was everyone
advertising answers
for grief barely begun

I couldn’t tell if she was holding it all up
or taking it down
or if she had integrated it
into who she is now