Empathy Poem by Janine Alyssa Navarro

He feels strangely lucid;
the alcohol has worn off.
The night was clear
but his eyes seemed foggy.
The mystery has been told
but she didn’t believe a word he said.
He crawls at the floor
pulls his knees to his forehead.
As he sobs, choked cries too,
she gently places a hand on his back.
She whispered, “I can’t picture it
but I know it’s true.”
He didn’t owe her an explanation
or another tale to the strangeness.
She simply nodded as she looked at him,
for she desired to understand.