tear by tear

I'd never cried so hard that one breath didn't have a chance to leave before another pushed its way in,

so hard that I couldn't see the mirror through the tears in my eyes, 

so sad that it choked out every other emotion,

so much that everything came tumbling down with no hope to pick it up, or lay it down, or stop it from falling, 

so fast that gravity pushed me to the floor,

so real that sorrow dripped from my fingers

so true that words failed and only a cough escaped me, 

so strong that I ached from the pressure in my head, 

so long that time drowned in the salt from my eyes, 

so weak to let it slap me and I gave up, 

so simple that all I'm aware of, everything, is this.

I'd never cried so hard.

But today I did

again and again.