No Road Home Poem by Bryan Riley

Just as the moon
caressed the sky-
Just as, just
before the dawn
I heard your song,
and for want of
joining in I found
myself, instead,
weeping at
your bedside.
If it doesn't rain
by sundown, I'm
going to have to
water the
cemetery flowers.
And God, what have
we done with the
space in-between?
-touching just enough
lives to prolong our
slide into obscurity-
I assure you,
while I remain, you
will not be forgotten.

Our hope exists
within the words,
and the means to
give them form.
When all else
takes flight, I will
be there....
Try to move toward
the light, but the
light tells lies by
casting strange
shadows across
the land-
never knowing
whom to trust; it's
impossible to
let go when you
can't even
trust yourself.
Try to mourn, but
all is emptiness
and no solace-
no road home.