Reverie

Running through the grass, skimming the blades with your laughter

Cherry red cheeks, sticky sweet and summer bright

Take my hand

I know every strand of your hair, its burnished golden shine

Your eyes, so like theirs, delighted by our game

We twirl

Your chubby cherub limbs spread wide, your skirts a floating bell

Infectious giggles, sparkling smile, wild imagination

Let’s play

Just a little longer…

But your giggles echo, each one farther away than the last

Cheeks once vibrant with life, now translucent, transparent

The silk of your hair slips through my fingers, and I can no more grasp it than I can grasp wisps of the sunshine

I knew you once, for a very long time, for a fleeting moment

But I have to say good-bye

I will love you always

But I have to say good-bye