Upon the Walls of Night

I think once my heart was a fire

But we can hardly remember

the people we once were

Old friends in still images

flickering through a hazy afternoon's thought

I found it there

Untended and smoldering along a beach like all the rest

It scarred my hands to dig into the ashes

The burns of life abundant

Perhaps

But the pain asked no explanation and so

I gave it none

I threw the embers high in to the sky and

for a moment

imagined they were stars

A million fires abright too far to see

burning forever against the cold and dark

Uncounted new constellations

Ashes covered my face

A shroud of remains

breath held tight in my breast

I hope somewhere that boy is well

Wherever he is

Sitting near his fire keeping warm against the night

Someone must keep vigil

And stories and fires are old friends

Stories, though, have ends

Just like their tellers

And the wind carries them up to the sky

like ashes

as it always has

Because someone, at least, must keep watch