The Friends Poem by Ashley Akari

The foam of a million seas
Washes over the cold sand
And rises up between the living
Mountains of our feet.

The end of the world is
So far away—far beyond
This great and terrible sea
That engulfs men in their frail ships—

Frail, like our frail bodies.

You sigh.

The sunlight breaks through the
Clouds like the breaking of
Budding new life.

We both know that the sun
Is setting and that today is
The day of your dying.

But you are not afraid
And I am almost unafraid.
We have been one for so long
That our thoughts run together,
Like the colours of a masterpiece.

But still I’ll miss the form of you,
The laughter in your eyes
And the hand that has been
So strong and guiding and firm.

So firm it hurt and I cried
Out in pain—but you always
Loved me too much to let go.

But you will let go now.

I can feel your cold hand shivering
And the clouds are painting
Shadows on your skin.

You smile one more time
To show that Death isn’t so very bad.
Or so very cruel if you do
Not fear it.

And you do not fear it.

The play is done
And the red curtain falls softly
And finally on our scene,
With only an audience of Angels above.

The sun is a flaming ship
And the stars, also, flame in their
Endless orbits.

You are still and I am an Actor
Alone on the stage—for
You are far beyond the
World of glitter now, with no use
For masks and tears.

But one day the curtain will lift again
And we will play with a
Script with no ending.

But until then I will smile bravely
And let you rest.

You are weary and grateful for Sleep.