mining

“love should end with hope.”
—kate, a knight’s tale


this life, you and me, born and died and
still alive,
fingers and stars and heaven and hell
fight, sing, love

remember those nights. thick pillowed satin,
smooth between fingers and legs
candles, guttering
three flags anchored into the wall
you anchored into me

we lived through nothingness,
we pushed and pulled across land and sea
we imagined

strings, clocks, cars, angels.

promises hammered into sterling silver
and rescinded—no matter. still love, just a different kind,
brown eyes changing into green,
little girls,
new plans

for you for me

snow, ash, urn…
scattering
wind

vanished

returned

a labyrinth to heaven. a maze to earth. a
resolution and an affirmation
and the strangulation of disbelief,
birth of knowledge

arms spread wings spread
silver and feather and less
yet more and

hope.