the saltiness of love a riveting fall unlike other tears this solitary shed like a drip of life-blood the lance of each freckle an almost feckless drive over the sallow cheek finally landing on the lump of her throat the last tear stains her pillow tasted by encompassing family a lovely bouquet the aroma of memories likewise a splash of a storm lashing against the window pain softly moaning wind as she exhales one more breath like the shake of a baby’s rattle as the sun shines a doe with a sparkling eye and her fawn through the window pane her family exhales and holds the snapshot of her death 2/4/2019 Silent One’s One Last Tear Contest