The flowers promise that it's summer
and my heart believes them.

The night
smells of something
romantic and beautiful
that I have lost
but will meet again.

The sky draws near the earth today.
And with it comes a closer sense of you,
until unimpeded,
my prayers pour forth
into your comforting embrace.

The first gasp is painful
made sweet by the realization
that breath has entered me

The darkness shifts
uneasy against my breath

Still hesitant to hope
my soul clings
to the remnants of waiting
until

I am shaken
deeply shaken
and all that will not last
falls away
to reveal that
which will remain

The sound of my own panting fills my ears now
as power wells within
crescendos
I am unimpeded

Light breaks through
surrounds me
with life

I am free.

So I wait
every tiny fragment
every shattered hope
with no way forward
no way out
in darkness
and dust
and ashes
I wait

It is dark -- to be sure
This darkness is heavy
It crushes the breath from my body
and rests on my face
with the weight of thousands of years of evil and hatred
If I opened my mouth
I could taste its bitter selfishness on my tongue

The stillness calms my struggle
until at last
I surrender
and am transformed
to ashes
and dust

Yet this darkness is no less diminished

I will hold you
to my heart
my love

I will gather you
to me
every broken bit
of dream
and soul
and heart
as you shed
the tears
and words
that have worn you
from whole
to pieces

I will hold you
to my heart
my love
in my heart

I will press my lips
against your pain
with fierce compassion
my embrace absorbing all
that makes you
wounded
aching
weary
until it turns
to whole
and hopeful
burned to beauty
by my love

I will free you
set you free
to wander on
the long-forgotten paths of joy
with laughter
in your smile
and step

But always
I will hold you
in my heart
my love
will hold you
love