Promise

I pass a man
On his cell
Tell his lover
He won’t be home,
Perhaps, forever,

While the stream
of forgetfulness
winds
through the trees

obliterating
autumn
lovers
and leaves…

I am adamant.

It will not obliterate me.

There are many shades
On the path today,
Grim and soulless
Wandering alone,

I’d stop and talk
But the sky
Looks threatening,
And even my pup
Is tugging me home.

There is no boatman
In this sodden Hades
But there is a bridge
And shadowy mist

I would not forget you
If I walked
For centuries,

If my eyes
Became dim
From loneliness.

Others may drink
From the stream of forgetfulness,
Losing their voice
And memories…

But I will pass
Through the gates of the forest,
Adamantine,
Impervious

And I will remember
Your autumn colours,
Shining brightly
In the winter wind

And I will walk
If it takes forever
To find you
And bring you
Home again.