Where Tears Are

Sometimes, tears bunch in vertebrae,
cling to an unyielding jaw
or hunker in shoulders.

Sometimes, tears hide in the sacrum
only to flood the belly
when our pace falters.

Sometimes, they are in knees that cannot lift,
hands that cannot play,
a mouth that cannot smile
but smiles anyway.

And sometimes,
but only sometimes,
they reach
our eyes.

Nina Parmenter

If you have any thoughts on this poem,  Nina Parmenter would be pleased to hear them.