run-on

I have nothing left

no more tears to cry

just salt stains on my hands & cheeks

exhausted, tired eyes

fears of the uncertainties

remind me this is not a dream

although every night when I fall asleep

I pray to God it will be

trivial worries

trivial words

suddenly everything lacks depth

everything lacks purpose

nothing is motivating

nothing seems worth it

because life is just a death sentence--

a run-on we try to make sense of--

and sometimes punctuation comes along

before we've had the chance to understand it

His eyes are growing tired comma

He paces comma

He doesn't sleep comma

He winces in pain when he thinks no one can see comma

People speak to him in a language of goodbyes comma

His words have all become sermons comma

Preaching to the choir that doesn't know how to carry on a melody without him comma

He observes everything so quietly comma

He breathes heavily comma

He kisses my mother comma

He holds her a bit tighter now comma

He holds her a bit longer now comma

He says "I love you" a little bit louder now comma

And I watch it all comma

Just praying that the punctuation comma

Continues to be a comma 

comma

And not a period

comma

Because I need there to be more commas.

There are lessons for him to teach me,

Guys I'll date that he will need to interrogate,

Taxes I need him to teach me how to do...

I need him to see me walk at graduation, for him to say 

"you did it kiddo, I'm proud of you."

I need him to dance with me at my wedding,

and see how happy I am on the day that I marry the man who will always remind me of him...

I need him to meet his grandchildren,

to be able to see into their little eyes 

and hold their tiny hands--

to kiss them and make them smile...

I need him to put me in line when I'm being selfish,

I need him to counsel me when it's time to correct the course,

I need him to push me when I don't know how to move forward,

I need him to be there to remind me what's most important,

I need more commas

I pray that God isn't particular about grammar,

That He'll allow me more commas than I'm likely to get,

That this life sentence can run-on longer than science says it can,

But no matter how many commas you give me,

God, 

I promise I will thank you

for each and every one