Hollow

Hollow

I feel hollow

I’m not empty

But I’ve more space than I had before

Hollow

I feel hollow

The space is expanding with every unsaid word

Hollow

I feel hollow

How great can a chasm be contained within skin?

How vast can emptiness be where there’s muscle and blood?

Hollow

What is hollow?

Empty pottery jars, fashioned with care, that crack and shatter when mishandled

A watermelon good for the body

A secret compartment preserved in the sand

One is empty, the second full, the third a mystery to behold

Hollow

I feel hollow

When looking inside I seem blind

Hollow

Why so hollow?

I used to be full but that fell far behind

And now I’m reflecting on this chasm

This space

It hasn’t always been here

Is the cure near?

*

Hollowed out as a chimney tree

Flames there were

Smoke there billowed

Wood there changed

To ash

*

~S.L.

Thank you for reading my poem! The photo is from a shoot I did with the talented Alex DC and Miguel Martinez! Their instagram handles are in the caption if you want to check out more of their photography :)