i.

i was close to

sleeping; her

hands were

clasped under

the covers.

you don't have

to hide that

from me, i

said and turned

over.

ii.

i remember

bruising my

knees on the

kneelers

during the

stations on

friday.

i told her

this when

god came up.

in church i

stared at the

lanterns until

the light made

spots before

my eyes; they

were not real.

iii.

the bark on

the trees behind

my house peels

easily.

i hear my dog;

whimpering more

every night.

when asked

to quiet him

i say, he's

getting old.

iv.

i stayed awake

with her, in the

beginning, when

she was sad

about life.

i had no answer

for her so

i wrapped my

arms around her

tightly.

by Sean O'Brien 12/02

Sean "Diggity" O'Brien is the creator of the comic strip "DiGG". He enjoys writing immensely and ventures into the realms of poetry and short fiction. College student by day, web designer by night, Sean is a man involved in many projects. His recent work may be viewed at www.seandiggity.com and www.diggcomics.com