…and the songs of the lost
Life’s perilous seas
and treacherous currents
carry our memories
far from the shore
so far, that our songs
can no longer be heard
or even remembered
so far, that faces
once familiar
seem to fade a little
with every passing day
the golden glow
of once lit flames
now fading into darkness
as the year slowly turns
towards the shortest day
and the longest night
that brief moment
when the sun dons its cloak
darkness rises
to the surface
engulfing us in shadows
the ghosts of our past
awakened from slumber
their unspoken words
a haunting refrain
that sings of wishes
both lost and unfulfilled
in the lingering void
the silence
is louder than pain
reverberating
in the empty chasms
of the building night
the voices of the dead
and the songs of the lost
circle the vast
avian vault
both predatory
and broken
aching to be heard
through closed eyes
we see them again
all that we ever lost
our hearts
fill with regret
as the days
grow shorter and colder
our souls
now heavy with pain
in our brokenness
crying for comfort
but there is none
to be found
in this cold, desolate place
© Ann Bagnall
