Inspired by “My November Guest” by Robert Frost.
The two lampposts stood on either side of the street
Running through a barren field
Not one other thing in sight
Shielding me from the dark, day and night
Their shadows ran around me
Like the fortress around an adoptee
I learned about the world underneath their light
I grew older in their warmth
Until the day when the wind blew strong
A faint cloud of dust encircled me
And the lights quivered, as if to say ‘sorry’
The unsettling feeling crept in as I hugged them
Hoping to heal them, save them, and save myself
But the wind gained strength, the light met my eye
I watched the glimmer fade away and die.
I looked up and stared at the darkness, undone
Fear gripped my heart as I ran to the other one
It kept flickering but I held on tight, with all my might
Until it was hit by the lightning; it sputtered and died
I screamed, I cried
I ran, from the street, away from the field
Stumbling upon rocks that the night revealed
I tried to outrun the darkness, but I failed
With the final sound of thunder,
I, at last, exhaled.
Grief is, perhaps, the strongest of all emotions. Death has the power to bring together people in a way new life or happiness never can.
