She can see her brother through the crack.

He’s resting his hand on the door he’s used so few times

And thinks that she could be sleeping,

On just the other side.

She can hear her best friend’s music playing.

She’s mouthing the lyrics they used to sing together

And can almost hear her singing, too,

Just on the other side.

She can taste her chapstick on her first love’s lips.

He’s holding the tube that had fallen from her pocket

And swears that she still keeps it warm,

Just from the other side.

She can smell the dirt as she kneels atop it.

She’s burying her fingers in the fresh earth

And tries, finally, to reach for herself,

From just the other side.

With nothing left she feels the fur of the dog she loves,

But he quivers with each breath.

It’s possible, I think, he’s the only one who truly understands-

There is no just the other side.