The Suffering of the Others

It’s not like losing the love of your life—
which is something you get over
even if to keep the pain alive
you tell yourself you don’t,

it’s more like losing a limb or an eye
which you never get over
even though to maintain your drive
you tell yourself you do.

Unless you’ve lost something you really need
And you feel it every day
like the thinning of breathable air
you can never understand it,
although to keep your feet from the rail of the bridge,
you tell yourself do.