Original Torch Poem

Night falls on a sandy beach

Dark, jagged rocks not far from the black water's edge

Leave just enough sandy space for lovers to enjoy a moonlit walk

Stars dot the sky as waves whisper love songs to the sand

No moon shines tonight

No lovers appear

In the distance, a different type of nocturnal parade approaches

They hide their beauty in dark robs and mystery

They say nothing, keep trudging slowly

Monotony overwhelming

Each carries a torch

A collective flame, burning for the past

For a lover gone

Some have tried to move on

But failed

Some refuse to even attempt

All insist on living for what is no longer here

Each torch burns with a steady fuel of memories

They are made with embers of times past

Some try to live in the flames of old passion

Some try to burn away their pain of loss

Images of happiness dance in the fires

Bright illusion comforts and shields, but truth lurks in the shadows

Ready to break the façade

On new moons I see the group wander past my window

Usually without a thought in my mind

But tonight, I have a torch myself

My love has left, and only memories remain

But my torch refuses to light

Try as I might I cannot start a flame

I have no shortage of memory

My embers glow bright orange with passion

But the dark Truth engulfs my torch

The time has passed

The phantom lovers scorned have disappeared in the mist

I remain in my dark home with a burnt out torch

It seems the life of a lost wanderer is not for me

I take my torch off display

Instead, I must begin to heal.

They cannot wander forever

One by one, they will one day look away from the trail of heartbreak

And see Life as they pass her by

They will stray from this past-ridden path

And learn to love again.