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I Carry a Torch
I carry a torch for you
I carry a torch —
A blaze
illuminating your wide smile
as it sprinkles sunlight over me,
amplifying the echo of your laughter
as you run into the cold water,
a spotlight on moments of kindness,
magnifying meaning of each
shared look.
I carry this torch for you —
It warms me
in the shadows
as I witness
your capacity to love
blooming like coals,
building more heat over time.
I cheer you on,
wish for your happiness,
in that home with her,
while cradling this flame
in my cave
for the chance that one day,
you’ll come looking
for me instead,
and deem it time
to ignite
my gasoline-soaked heart.
In and out
of the arms of others,
I move,
careful to block the wind,
protecting this torch
I keep it lit for years;
My stamina may
outlast her beauty,
your history,
the nature of our numbered days.
I feel them behind me.
They carry a torch for me;
they carry a torch.
Lighting my path
as best they can
from two steps behind,
patiently watching
as I step through life alone,
seemingly fearless.
Holding my best life
in their dreams,
they know I deserve good things;
they think they could be that good thing;
they wonder why I refuse to turn around.
I feel their eyes on me
but my focus
is weighted, always tilted
towards a torch I…
