the veil was rent
the walls fell away
i heard love in his voice
the evidence in his eyes did nothing
to belie it

for one brief moment
I felt as if I were holding untarnished hope
in the palm of my hand,
the possibilities of it,
beauty personified

dreams...
waiting for the breath of life
boundless hope
the simple, poignant, flawlessness
of being loved

long winter gave way to sudden spring
something hard and unyielding
unfurled into glorious life
light dawned
and darkness fled

reaching out to shroud myself
in its warmth
he stilled my hand
explanations of its falseness
tumbled about my head

chaotic, fragmented thoughts
danced drunkenly
with devastated dreams

finally the clarity of betrayal
quieted my silent screams
giving way to a rigidity
of calm desperation

winter reclaimed my soul
with an unforgiving vice-like grip

warmth receded in the face
of unrelenting cold

darkness, given free rein,
banked the light

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