by Brijida Prano

At the funeral
You see me in black.
I let you think I am mourning the dead.

But the dead are dead-
I lament the love
That never once had the chance to blossom.

Don’t think I shun you.
I love you, I just
Avoid the pain of trusting you fully.

Don’t cry for me yet
At this long, long wake,
Expecting of me grief for the deceased.

Wait for the moment
When the flower wilts
And hope dies anew, unmercifully…

Leaving me behind,
A slight, sad shadow
Longing for your tender, unfailing love.