Shock

And her nails
Grew out with
Deep, broad ridges
All the way across
All the fingers

That for several years
She did not understand

And Then One day She read
That shock leads to
Deep horizontal bands on nails

In her case it was
The shock of recognition
Of something She had
Known all along
But did not dare face

And later She Would check
Her fingers every So often
To look for traces of grief

Many a time She found
The telltale signs
In her thumb which seemed
The most receptive

But Never again So pervasive
And Never again So deep...