On The Darkest Day…

I hold you close beside me, from a distance; 
light a candle for the lost and found;
let sorrows ebb and flow, show no resistance 
let silence speak the plummet of the sound.

I say a prayer for those without direction
and set my compass to poetic north;
whisper, beneath my breath, a benediction 
for the New Year, and all it will bring forth.

And most of all, deep in this day of darkness 
I remember summer sunlight on my face
tender as your lips, your soft caress 
and bless this heart, this hearth, this homelike place.