.
Sarah communicated with her words,
long handwritten letters, looped O and swirly S
more than I could count,
I did not keep a single one.
Alice played the violin
classical pieces and original compositions,
late into the evening, often by candlelight.
I fell asleep, she told me.
Darlene preferred non-verbal connections
Her right thumb on my knuckles
tracing a code into my skin.
a pattern I never took the time to decipher.
Looking back,
I'm sure there were several others
who
had something they were trying to tell me.
I probably should have taken notes.