STAYING BEHIND

The party was boisterous

And loud

At the edge of the meadow

Along the wide well worn path

There was laughter

And voices in layers

A circling

With slow steady movement

Along the wide well worn path

Many colors

Digital numbers

Digital voices

And animated images

Rose from the crowd

He was smiling

His cheeks hurt

His eyes felt tired

As he tried to speak

No sound came

Others spoke to him

Faces in a window

Mouths moving

With great animated expression

But no sound

His steps slowed

And he glanced to the meadow

Serene and quiet

Oblivious to the clamor

Haltingly, his steps slowed more

And stopped

There was a sudden hush

And a circling

As all

Expressed great concern

With great animated expression

He felt the prods

The pushes from behind

As all pulled while gesturing and pointing

Down the wide well worn path

He resisted

Slowly they released him

Walking backwards and away

They pleaded with him

Please come

He could not

He stepped sideways into the knee-high grass

And felt his toes sink into the earth

A shadow of a bird

Passed in front of his feet

He heard the clamor move away

And fade into the wood

He was very much alone

He sunk to his knees

And sunk his hands into the earth

He wondered – what now?

He looked up and let the sun cover his face

He felt a presence and glanced across the meadow to the wood line

It was then he saw her

She had been watching all

Silence moved in and time froze

She stepped out into the sun

Dark hair blowing in the wind

Their eyes met

As a flood crashing, breaking and cleansing

He remembered all