He stood
before the bench where he last saw her
Shadows from nearby trees nearly engulfing it
as the sun lowered in the smoke-glazed sky
She had on her gray pantsuit with a silky blouse
its’ color matched her sea-blue eyes
He set the ash-covered helmet on the wood
and as if pressed down with a heavy weight, he dropped
to one knee and bowed his head, tears trickling down his grime-stained face
Fires he could fight, but not the monstrosity he witnessed on that fateful day
One by one, his brothers fell as with the towers
Did she too?
Perhaps she’ll suddenly appear like an angel he knew her to be-
or, was she lost somewhere in the rubbles of mangled steel and crushed cement?
Time’s no man’s friend
For he was a fool to think he had plenty
and now she’s gone
*I created a video for this story. It can be accessed here: The Bench
