Please Don't Jump

The winds howl in pain, in disappointment.
beating heavily against my ribs like arbor canopies,
wild with juts and shoots like a shield
to protect my wary heart.
I’ve felt lost in darkness,
lost in a witless melancholy
that becomes all-consuming.
Canopies can’t keep out night.

But then morning comes.
It’s rich and thick with
effervescent light
to warm my heart,
making me wonder
why did I let my wishes wander away
into the darkness in the first place?

-Shelby Denhof