One last night
before battle,
they all find love,
if only in the flesh,
and fly like kites
through the night
untethered.
Feelings float
around the room
like butterflies on wing.
Hearts that long to sing
but too much pain
to gain voice.
* * *
After a century,
what he knows
is her.
Strength.
Kindness.
The burden
she carries.
The isolation
she feels.
Walls that surround her,
he’s climbed.
Torn a few down.
What he knows
is her.
What he loves
goes beyond.
Weary.
Rejected.
She listens,
asks him to stay.
Not over there,
but here.
Close.
He draws her in
and they’re still.
In the morning,
he’s left holding a note.
Her strength renewed.
Her warmth
still next to him.