by Atlas Roark

A sudden, unveiled angel,

a treasure from a past;

a girl whose heart was burning,

whose life was fading fast.

I justly tried to reach her,

I tried to draw her near.

But all my good intentions

were paralyzed by fear.

Was it the roads we wandered?

Was it the things we did?

Was it our Black-Solutions?

Was it just pain they hid?

I lent my eye to her sight,

saw dreams’ bewilderment.

And then I saw arms bleeding,

and worried what it meant.

And in her eyes I realized

this life can’t be both ways.

Oh, how her suffering passion,

upon the alter stayed.

I’ll always want to save her.

But who says this is right?

I’d even take her hand and

go stumbling through the night.

Or could we ride on causeways

that lead us to the sun?

I will forsake the nighttime

when joy and pain aren’t One.

Still, to this day I see her,

the mind is oft astray.

The soul says go and seek her,

the mind warns stay away.