Untitled poem

[Ylanne Abdul Saleeb]

Was it you when I turned, and saw it there, etched in a mirror, lost on the roadside
And lovingly, longingly, turned passion away
All my hopes slowly fading, losing their precious color
Mingling with the dust
Tears fall from ashes, and death quickly finds a way
While I stood at the crossroads, tired, lost, unsure of what to say

Was it you I dreamed of, was it only yesterday
That I heard a lonely voice calling from somewhere, whispering my name
And delight, love, had I not known
Did it come back to me, did I walk away
Still, still, still I heard the footsteps going far
Stabbing into the sidewalk, pounding on the tar
Falling snow so soft and pure, can you hear the breath of dawn

Death speaks not of shivering cold
Nor of an infinite night
Death, friend, is friend to me
An acquaintance of the light
Death is gentle, now, and murmurs words of grace
Settles me down in peace, shelters me in my grave
Death for me a quiet sleep, as I hide my tears from you
When did you last say those words, act those words, only of your hate

Nought were all my dreams, and dreams of gold in my hands
For nothing I was born, and for nothing did I die
And at my funeral, mourners did you see
Waiting, wanting, desperate for to own something that could not be
O where was love, o where was light, o where was joy on my wedding day
For I am lost, I was plain, I was beauty and disgrace all shamed

O God, Father, high in heaven above
O Lord of nations, ye to whom all mankind bows
God
Where were you on that day
Did you see our monuments fall
Did you know I died that day
A warm September morning, kissed by the light of fall
And dreaming, quietly, wended its path around the trees
Forging the way, now, for a place for us all