Sunday, 17 March 2019

Guardian gone - revision 1

Guardian gone
(For Rilke’s angels)

lost angel
there when young, guardian —
comforting one…

of an evening
as head rested on the pillow,
nostrils inhaling sunshine
the cotton had captured…
feel the wing-tips caress,
softer than sun-captured butter,

forehead recalling the ocean
sand smoothed
footprints erased
each time waves venture forth
then back, then forth again…

once always alongside,
present as a stick held in the hand
to run along the fence
or a school bag, rotten fruit forgotten within,
slung across a shoulder —

accepted, never consulted,
a weight that lifted hours and words;
helped with the walk away home,
provided the reminder to return.

the time cannot be pinpointed
nor the place
the mislaying occurred, only that
one morning discovered to be no longer…

winter heralds a dearth,
trumpets emergent silence and
the sun’s escalation of distance…
no matter how often
a remote reflection is glared at
he will not return…

cannot —

he would no longer recognize me
even if he was looking.

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