THE DEATH OF ALYSSA

To say Alyssa was beautiful

Is like saying

The sky is high

The sea is big

Winter is cold

She embodied beauty

In a strange kind of way

She was not pretty

She was

Simply beautiful…

Like those stunted flowers

That grow above the tree line

Fight their way up through frozen ground

To blossom out

In a breath-taking explosion of life and beauty

A couple of inches above rock and snow

She lived her life

That way

With downcast eyes

But all knew

None were fooled

You could feel it

She was watching

She was aware

Of everything

The slow smile

A brief upwards glance

The smile spreads a little wider

“Alyssa!

Can you stop that…please?”

I heard her call

Twice

And knew

Then waited

“Hey, you know who died?”

A black explosion

In my mind

It changed

Everything

A small clip in the paper

But it is known

Everywhere

In the falling snow

In the angry

Roaring sea

In the bitter cold

All know

Alyssa is dead

I hear her

Now and again

See the slow smile

A brief glance

The smile spreads a little wider

Feel the light punch

As she leans in

She whispers words

Smiles again

Pushes me

And backs away

Fading

Gone