One Way

While glaciers calved
whipping cold winds cutting the bone,
my friend was melting.

While whales breached favoring warmer seas
manifesting new life as rebirth will forever be,
my friend was melting.

While sunsets painted their Turner-like moods,
lighting up the flight to heaven,
while the world watched our country roll a seven,

my friend, with the force of David against Goliath,
was melting.

Plugged into machines that kill to save
fighting to keep afloat the wave
I didn’t want to say or see

“you’ve got this” I cheered with ambiguity.
She made me a sandwich so graciously
but inside I was screaming

desperate to rip of my shirt, freeing
my broken heart, seething
at the silly words

and curse the unfair curse!
I was guilty to be alive
while my friend was dying.

Glaciers retreating from ash and dust
A life force dwindling
Her life form diminishing

I kept wishing her back
from a vault of original images
over and over again,

to hold on to that promised hike
that glass of shared wine.
Her lover’s love stretched far beyond

any eye could see…
If it were the remedy
one drop would have been recovery

but in the end, unexpectedly
always moving forward
she transitioned entirely.