when the going gets tough....

Here we sit again
facing off
across the barren
wasteland
of the kitchen table,
knife and fork
our armaments.

Yesterday,
there were never
words enough to say
I love you.

Today,
there are never
words.

Shadows creep in
at the corners --
spiderwebs of
indifference
on undead souls.

They reach to steal
our tomorrows,
and we haven't
the will to object.

Once, the shadows
were vanquished
with a laugh or touch...
today, they
crouch victorious
over broken dreams.

It takes two
to tango...
and to tangle...

and fighting shadows
is meaningless
without the light of
hope.