Oil-stain Rainbows

&& here she stands,
solemn beneath columns of hope,
light and love lost
in the forgotten realms of imagination.

and yes, the world has been grey
for some time now, she says.
the sparks have blown out;
the candle is cold,
drying wax tears stream
onto the tablecloth.

but beyond the horizon,
life floats on the wind
blowing quiet breaths,
sweet nothings into her ears,
soft as the touch of a lover.

and yes -
yes, the light is coming over the hills,
over the houses with locked doors,
encased in the overcast emotions
that mirror the cloudy skies.

yes, the world is coming alive,
the stench of death that coated the winter
is fading, dissipating into the air
like foggy mornings meeting the heat of the sun.

i can see, she says,
that there are rainbows reflected
in the oil stains that taint the beauty of the earth;
there are rays of light seeping through the clouds,
and they are shining on the road
before me.

into his warm arms she walks,
slowly, steadily,
her shoes making ripples in the dust --
alone in the crowd,
she comes to him empty,
waiting for love to refill her tired heart.