Fading shadows

A chasm yawns between us, stretching back a third of a century,
yet here you are, extending another invitation.
Where shall we rendezvous this time?
Will your heart still echo the sensation we once shared?
Or will the cosmos dim, snuffing out the remnants of our affection?
Will the sun dip below the horizon, leaving us as strangers in the twilight?
Or will the heavens erupt in a tempest, illuminating the distance that remains?
Shell I still harbor dreams of a fairy tale ending?..

You beckon me to an ancient citadel, on a sweltering summer night,
far from here.
Even if you fail to recognize me at first glance, I will be present,
a ghost of what once was.
Even if your words elude you, I’ll respond with a make out,
a silent promise.
Even if we find ourselves haunted by regret,
I yearn to sacrifice myself to you once more.
For without you, time loses its meaning, the world fades,
and I cease to exist.

[2025]