On the dark side of midnight, I lay sleepless
Thoughts of the unknown, and unseen filling my mind
An encounter that morning, was the trigger for this sleeplessness
For a month now during my morning stroll, been seeing two elderly men
also on their morning stroll
they would surely be walking if the weather agreed
Past ten days though, I missed them on my walks
Till this morning
but there was only one of the two,
He had aged in the last ten,
His gait was slow,
shoulders drooping more
than age could cause.
Out of concern, I asked him
And he said,
that his friend of 30 years had left him
without a chance to say goodbye
For a decade now, their morning walk was a ritual they both kept religiously
And now with his friend gone on the final walk of his life, without a word, the void
was too much to fill.n
I walked with him the rest of the way, offering nothing but silent company
When the time came to part, he held my hand and smiled,
I could feel his heavy heart, and in the faint smile, I saw some relief
I walked back home happier that I could lend a shoulder
But now, I feel the burden of his loss
Reflected though it is
It's making me sleepless and eager for the break of dawn.
Remembering an incident that took place a decade ago.