Monday, September 7, 2009

the watcher - a matched set to 'the watch'

spring would be the point
he had made her promise
saying it would be fitting
to begin again then
when spring comes step down
look around and grow new dreams
promise me this

and she would not, could not look at him
watching instead his hands
and the way they bent around hers
so when he squeezed them tightly
like the question mark to his command
she nodded and did not say anything
but he took it for her word

be brave. 
watch for me.
i'll meet you before spring

and he was gone

It is late summer and she stands by her post
watching along the wall
keeping track of the slips of green
holding on to them like small promises
spring is not gone yet
he could still come


there is one sapling left
carrying green like a flag 
that she builds her army of hope around
marshalling her dreams to protect it
from the raging fire of orange and yellow
burning through the forest

the sunset blazes through the trees
turning the leaves in the wind
to its own golden tone
and she closed her eyes
to hold back the the sea
that raged at her last hope stolen


she opened her eyes to the snap 
of the twigs laid along the path way
taking her spear to raise the alarm
she turned to watch for the enemy

the spear is broken
the wall breached
the door abandoned
the watch forgotten

spring has come again
in the eyes of the warrior 
standing with his wounded arm wrapped
around his woman who waited

winter is nothing now.


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