Standing Alone

If you give me a reason for talking
about the red of her hair, I will begin
with an explanation. For in her hair
there hides the truth of her past
and future identity. Irish eyes and
pale complexion leave us vulnerable
to sunlight always, for the entirety
of our lives, even when attempting
to burn out genetics with long
strong doses of sunlight. And yet,
you cannot convince her to come
inside, even for a little while.
The hours spent building up
financial stability and the large satisfaction
freckles and tanned skin are little in
comparison to the cancerous skin it
may later produce. And when that
day comes, the money will be gone
and the youth will have fallen;
all left is wrinkled skin and the stock-
pile of memories in the back of my
room. And I’m standing here asking,
as I always do, about everything and
everyone: is it worth it? Are we bound
to live without regret, or will we all
wake up to cold-sweats in the middle of
the night, cursing our previous selves for
every infraction, mistake, sin. I can only
hope we are not bound to such futures
if dissatisfaction, I can only hope those
futures will not find us standing alone.