he ran away
she stumbled,
struggled,
and was baffled.

she was drowning,
not because she didn't
know how to swim,
but because the tides
were too high.

she was crying,
they didn't know
that she was,
even him.

she was dying,
they can't see
and hear
what she is
and what she has,
how she is
and how
she was.

she held out.