The Empty Space

She held it out, that sun-baked mess,

Her eyes so wide, a trusting plea.

A beach trip I failed to bless,

Now just a scrawl for her and me.

The sun was lopsided, big and gold,

The stick figures a clumsy line.

But right there, where a story told

Of us two walking, yours and mine,

Was just blank paper, stark and white.

And "Auntie" scrawled in shaky, red.

A hollow space where day met night,

The weight of words I left unsaid.

I couldn't meet that earnest gaze,

Caught in the maze

Of my own days.