The irregular shape of the light
Wavers
As it travels through the darkness.
The flames flicker
And the shadows dance.
The boundaries of my world,
Changing constantly,
As the wind whips around
The red and orange heat.
Peeking into my world,

I see a familiar face,
Ghostly and haunting,
Fading in and out
At the edge of the light.
A painful reminder
Of a treasured friendship
Lost in the past.

The flames grow smaller
As their fuel is consumed
And that face I long to see again
Disappears in the thick blanket of night.

I close my eyes,
Pushing the memories back,
Holding them down.
The flames grow even smaller,
Barely enough for the wind to catch.

As the light dims
Drawing the edge closer,
My world grows smaller
And I feel more alone.

A different face forms in the shadows,
One I see deep in my heart,
Almost how I remember him.
So young, so innocent.
So still, so lifeless.
The face, so close.
Close enough to reach out and touch.
My fingers within inches
And the last of the flames die,
Drawing the sphere of light,
My world, even closer,
Leaving the dim glow of the fire soaked wood.
He's gone, for the second time
Never to return.

And as the last glow
Of the dying embers
Reflects off the crystal tear,
I let them go, for holding on
Is harder than letting go.

A small thread of smoke
Swirls toward the stars
And my world closes in around me.
The silence and darkness, heavy,
And I am truly alone.

~050800~ rev. ~121400/041902~