THE FAILURE OF MEMORY

A single lamp in the lone night
Aflutter with each gust of wind—
The darkness deepens upon its form
And tries to snuff it, wing on wing,
Like vultures hovering on dying prey.
In its lidless eye, a drop of gold
Refuses to die as the fire in flesh
Awaits its death, a char of wick…

A memory is buried within the white.
The lines of a face grow pale and fade.
The shades are hidden in background glow
That swallows the portrait without a trace.
Even the thought of love disappears
In the light that crowds upon your name.
What stays is mystery, strange and sweet,
In this blot of day darker than night…