When all is said and done,
the smoke has cleared
and the battle lines
             that were drawn in blood

have faded into the earth

What then is left of   for   us?
Our quest for finishing this life,
figuring out if we ever really had a 
purpose....
at all.


Have you ever watched the smoke fade
incensed, fleeting, fragrant, and intimate
lingering around your face,
kissing your skin
dancing in your airway
              thickening your cognizance

and leaving you devoid of thoughts?

Then, all is said and done,
the castles walls have eroded from the waves,
the brick and mortar collapsing unto the shore,
as one last push, 
tumbles it all under foot...

Not a tear was shed,
not a soul was heard,
but the beach was painted red
and you are still here with me

in unending peace