No right way to stay

It took 20 minutes for the tears to come after you left

They were there

Suspended in rational balance with the briefness of this thing between us

I felt silly

but since they were there, I gave them their time

Usually when a man leaves, or I leave,

If I cry,

I cry for myself

I cry for my loneliness and my loss

But tonight they weren’t tears of loneliness,

nor tears of loss

Just tears of tears of tears

Because I felt you there

Suddenly awkward laying beside me

Stunned by what your truth meant for us

because everything else between us is so right

And because leaving felt unnatural when we both wanted you to stay,

but knew that there was no right way for you to stay