There was a fire brighter in you
Than had coated Trojan parapets
Or burned and buried Pompeii
Ruins decorate the land and I
See them rippling between
Heat waves and the horizon

There was a magic dancing in you
Like in the Great Khan’s harem
Or the halls of Arthur before the deceit
The mist hissed and twisted
With your cavorting form in
The temple as they worshipped

There was a radiance filling your eyes
Like first glimpse of Saharan stars
From a sandy desert bed
I reached for you a bit too soon
And watched the mirage slowly
Collapse under my weight

I crumbled like ancient Babylon
Within a forgotten garden
The Gate to God began to age
And decay as I helplessly watched
You drift out of sight and leave me
Alone with the cold and my faith

I lost you like ancient Atlantis
In the briny brilliance of the sea
I dove after you tenaciously and
You laughed at me sagaciously
And the lonely candle glinted out
When the last Prayer failed

It was a cold night in the city
when the fire finally burned out,
and slowly my eyes closed
as the restless dreams began.

When the fire finally burned out,
gentle embers floated in the air.
As the restless dreams began,
a palpitating song fell silent.

Gentle embers floated in the air
as firefly tails faded to ash,
and a palpitating song fell silent,
her heartstrings torn and snapped

As firefly tails faded to ash
I thought of her somewhere asleep
Her heartstrings torn and snapped
And her mind restlessly aching

I thought of her somewhere asleep,
Hiding from the lights,
And her mind restlessly aching
knowing that tears can breed

Hiding from the lights
I slowly tore open my soul
knowing that tears can breed
shards from broken memories

I slowly tore open my soul
when the city lights flickered out,
shards from broken memories
let urban veins run dry

When the city lights flickered out
thoughts and dreary intoxication
let tired veins run dry
and I stared out into the void

Thoughts and dreary intoxication—
It was a cold night in the city—
I stared out into the void,
And slowly my eyes closed.