b r o k e n
a nest
past sanctuary
abandoned hovel
the only company is the heartless wind
and the persistent rainfall
until home was no longer home

cold
barren
haunted

m e m o r i e s
carefully woven
thread

by


thread
into a labyrinthine storybook
a picture on a canvas
a sculpted mosaic
depicting the love
that had once flourished

d e s t r o y e d
a terrible creature
darker than death
stronger than love
one they call jealousy
brought ruin to the place
twigs and leaves
and grass painted with the morning dew
clay and mud
and pebbles chosen from the seashore
a lifetime of patient work
all torn to shreds

just streaks of crimson blood remain
staining the desolate feathers
like the hideous portrait of a silent battlefield

w a t c h i n g
a lone sparrow
perched upon a nearby branch
overlooks the scenery
remembering all that has happened
wondering what had gone wrong
contemplating
mourning

r e g r e t
the sparrow preens its feathers
but halfheartedly uncaring
no companion is here to groom as well
none is left over but the feathers
scarlet

damp



soiled
forever marked by the wasted war
unable to take it all back


l o s t
the sparrow weeps
for the home it once knew
for the heart that once smiled
for the friend who had left behind
the ruined nest
the bleeding feathers
the broken memories

and a lost sparrow