She whispered softly, like it was the first words she had said in a long time.  “Please, forget me.  Don’t let my troubles bother you anymore.”

     I sat up, her head falling off my shoulders, sliding to the pillow over my legs.  “No, don’t worry,”  I said, gently stroking her hair, worried that maybe I might be hurting her, that even I might add to her pain.  But she remained still, not shuddering, not shaking anymore.  I thought she could fall asleep, but only if she could be blessed so.  Sleep would be such a wonderful drug for her.

     But I sensed no rest from the tension; her whole self a taut, strained muscle, always waiting, never halting, for pain.  Even her restful moments struggled with reality and its infinite worries.  Even reality could shatter any hopes for peace.

     She didn’t sob, as though sobbing would only remind her of time when she could recall loss.  Only an invisible eye could tell that her soul, though barren and barraged, pain shrouded and pain filled, was still hoping, still pulling for a bright new day.  It was all that made me wish she could see a star, an angel, a hope, that would say it was all right, sweet child, rest and all will be well.

     ‘Who, why, is this stranger here?”  I saw through the matted hair a piece of her ear.  So curly and red and peach.  Like the side or wall of a tiny mountain ridge.  Gracefully curved, valley smooth and deep.  There was her ear.

     I imagine her hearing a thousand noises, voices yelling, chaos of a life tunnelling into her mind.  Doubt and worry of every day, every hour; the tears and cry shed inside her mind, after the struggle of every day.  Every moment of every mistake, misdeed, a geniune tragedy, playing over and again.  Sounds of every thought that she never forgot, words whispered to herself.  Every sound in her mind, as loud as real voices only louder, because all the sound come only to her.

    She lay very still in my lap, as I gazed at her lobe.  I only thought of mountains and valleys, alone but not caring, while she dreamed of faraway dreams, paradise away from here, where only peace remained.  We  mingled in the air, as silence overcame all the shouting in our minds.