Stranger
"I was not a
Stranger of suffering
When I met you.
I had already had
My fair share
Of dilemmas.
But man, oh man,
Pain and promise
Radiated off you
In waves.
I had been the
Eye of a hurricane
Before, and
How it had hurt.
Everything is frozen
In there, in
The worst way.
How I wanted
To take your hand
And shake the
Pain away, to
Watch the stillness
Flee in the
Face of motion.
Your eyes would
Be brighter then.
But you turned
The corner and
Were gone before
I could stop you.
I see you
Once again, so
Many years later.
Your face shines
In the mirror;
Your eyes are radiant.
Past pain outs itself
In the scars around,
But you have
Clothed yourself
In promise fulfilled.
How I long to
Know the story
Of your success.
How I long to
Know your name.
I can
Greet you now,
As I could not
So long ago.
I have no
Flight to catch,
And you have
No pain pulling
You away.
I will walk
Up to you
And smile at
Your well being.
I will introduce
Myself in a murmur.
When we shake
Hands I will
Slip this envelope
Into your breast pocket.
You will look
At me oddly,
But you will
Not jerk away.
I will smile again,
Unable to force
Words forward,
Bow gently and
Walk away.
You will blink,
Perplexed, while
Reaching into your
Pocket to see what
This functioning mute
Has to say.
Then you will learn
That I missed you
Without knowing you,
That I suffer all
Stages of hurricanes
Alone, almost by choice,
But that when
I am in the eye,
I think of you,
Pray for you.
You will learn that
I am glad for you,
Proud of you,
For weathering so well.
You will learn
That I am caught in
A struggle for power
With my vocal chords,
That every day
Is frustrating and that
Some are impossible.
You will learn
That your success
Has given me hope
For mine.
(You had such promise
Behind the pain.)
Lastly, you will know
I am a stranger
To you as you
Are to me, and
We may never
See each other again,
But nevertheless
I want to thank you
For existing.
Thank you
For being a
Strange solace
In such a
Horrid storm."