Just as you think you’re doing well,
You’re feeling strong,
you’ve got it all sorted,
so cool calm and collected,
they catch you,
out of the blue.

It’s a hand on your shoulder,
a question you weren’t expecting,
a song you knew together,
a memory of days long gone,
an act of kindness,
and you’re lost.

Your throat constricts,
words you were speaking
drown in tears
that arrive from nowhere
as your shoulders heave
with sobs that overwhelm
any pretence at composure.

The tears speak the feelings
you could not express
just five minutes before.