by Brijida Prano

Vanishing

With a few strokes of my white sword,
I transformed the future and changed the destiny of lives unknown.
My love for you is mingled with the white blood of my weapon.
It lies in shreds on the floor,
Slain, wiped off the face of the white earth.
But I, its killer, never spoke,
So you never knew it lived.
The jeweller wakes up the next morning and finds
He has two more golden wedding bands than he thought he had.
The realtor finally sells the beautiful little house on the lake,
Trying to remember who else had been interested in it.
The 7th grade, 4th grade, and 1st grade teachers at the school near that house Call roll one morning and wonder at the empty seat in each classroom,
The empty slot in each roster.
But the void is there, vacanted irrevocably by my slaying of the heart.
I am invited to your wedding.
I am dry-eyed as I wish you joy
Only because I have no more tears left to shed.
Under the flowing white veil, your bride’s hair is golden
Instead of my shade of brown.
If I had only not done away with that letter, maybe…
Mais Dieu sait.
They say the pen is powerful,
But they do not know the life-altering power
Of the eraser.