11 Through The Ink I See You As You Are

Sickness like lightning spreads across the deep green sky in his eyes, he stands before me but is out of my reach, my arms shackled to my sides. I know that whatever I say could never fill his emptiness, could never begin to heal even the smallest hairline crack. For I am a stranger to him, he who has nothing, who has been forgotten so many times, and here, he stands before me still alive, yet as if he is already gone.

His body has gone cold his tears still warm as they spill over the shadows under his eyes. I know not how he feels, what he thinks, or how to heal, but his expression beats me to my knees, makes me pray and beg God to save him. Thinking no doubt he has begged Him for the same, for so long, much longer than any would know, much longer than any would suspect.

The thunder explodes as his life snaps in front of me, it is quiet, silent as he, barely audible. If my vision had not been fixated on him I would not have noticed as he vanished from this world. I crawled from my knees to where he once was and clumsily gripped his hand in my trembling fingers, my body wracked with sobs and wails. The image of his fading light haunting my mind, I see it now left and right wherever I look he is there. In others behind their smiles, I can hear their thunder under their laughter, under their breath, drowning in the very same storm. Even they cannot see one another. Suffering isolated and alone, I cannot reach out to save them though I try an endless circle of failed attempts, trial and error. Will I ever find the cure? Will I ever reach them? Their shadows keep me at bay protecting their miseries from me, always pushing me aside, a droplet of water rolling off their shoulder. The place they walk through, they do not see my intentions for what they are, for their sight is shrouded in darkness their vision skewed. But with my arms still shackled to my side and my voice buried in my own mind there is little I can do, but see with my eyes their suffering, and walk with my feet by their side as they travel down their dark alleys, hoping that one day they will see that I am with them and I see their hurt clearly.