The rain never stops 
 
 The golden leaves become brown mulch
 The remaining birds become wailing wraiths.
 The trees become shivering strangers.
 
 But in the death of night.
 
 Utter stillness.
 Utter silence.
 Utter softness.
 
 Is it dawn yet?
 
 I can hear a hopeful bird brightly chirping.
 I can smell the earth once more living. 
 I can hear the branches gently swaying.
 
 The storm has ended.
 
 Outside,
 
 The path is sodden,
 The boughs are green. 
 The sun is bright.
 
 Cold, cold morning. 

 Are you still here?
 
 The one I roved behind.
 The one I drove away. 
 The one who remained.
 
 Don’t leave,
 
 Not when the fire’s dying embers.
 Not when my words are dying embers. 
 Not when my heart is smothered in dying embers.
 
 Don’t leave yet.
 
 He left when all I did was
 
 To scatter pearls in his hands.
 To scatter petals in his hair.
 To scatter tears on his heels.
 
 You whom,
 
 I run from every new moon.
 I tiptoe to every full moon.
 I hold close every waning moon. 
 
 Will you?
 Will stay for the waxing moon?
 
 I can see it in this army of bare trees.
 I can see it reflected in the rainwater.
 I can see it behind the veil of the clouds.
 
 A silver glimmer of hope.
 
 The words I draw in the mud
 The songs I whisper in the night
 The faces I make in the mists 
 
 All stem from fear.
 
 Deafening terror.
 Pounding horror.
 Shivering stupor.
 
 The wind blew yesterday.
 
 Leaving but the bare earth.
 Leaving but the bare trees.
 Leaving but the bare heart.
 
 The forest loses its mystery after 
 
 The wild melancholy
 The tormenting sigh
 The tempestuous farewell 

 Of autumn.
 
 All is offered.
 
 Heart,
 Soul,
 And mind.
 
 No leaves to hide,
 No flowers to garnish,
 No shelter to shield,
 
 From your gaze.
 
 Only me.
 
 Now you know,
 
 Where to find her den.
 Where to find her lair. 
 Where to find her hideout. 
 
 You knock, you knock.
 You call, you call.
 You ask, you ask.
 
 Too often.
 
 I slam the door shut.
 I lock the door shut.
 I bolt the door shut. 
 
 and I escape from the window.
 
 And I roam.
 And I howl.
 And I roll.
 
 In magical hills you cannot reach.
 In a forsaken land you cannot imagine.
 In a hidden world you cannot grasp. 
 
 Free, at last.
 Free, at will.
 Free, for now.
 
 Will you?
 Will you be there when I return?
 
 To hear my words.
 To heal my world.
 To head my words.
 
 Perhaps one day,
 
 You will come to
 
 Smile to me,
 Hold me,
 Carry me.
 
 To another land
 
 That neither of us know of.
 That neither of us dream of.
 That neither of us know the way to.
 
 The path is hidden.
 
 For mere mortals,
 For mere lonely creatures,
 For mere cowardly children.
 
 Only blessed lovers know this way.
 
 Wait.
 Breathe.
 
 Not too late,
 Not too soon,
 
 Lest I run,
 Lest I hide.
 
 Be calm,
 Be strong,
 Be soft,
 
 Our hearts already know the way.
 
 If this is true.
 If this for us
 If this is written.
 
 Don’t leave,
 Don’t stay.
 Don’t.
 
 Let it be.
 Let it rain.
 Let it trickle.

 And look up to that silver glimmer of hope.