That Night Upon The Bank

You sit once more on the bank.
Wings spread out, so worn down and leathery
After all these years. They eclipse the sky and yearn,
But are merely reflected back in the water
As a miasmic aura; your black halo.
Fingers slender with youth
Clutch tufts of grass and squeeze, pull
And release and pull again. The glint of purple rises,
Purple falling in the fading light
And luster shine of coming night.

The stars are out now, and so are you.
Your body slumps, lips curl, and I hear the grating
Of misery in so many hiccups.
Your tail, once lively, now flops,
Falling and rising black,
Unable to help an ailing girl.
The night seems alive, warping around you
With its terrible claws, and
Now, as before, your eyes shut tight
To push away the empty sight.

You sit and weep, even as the stars retreat
And the moon nestles beside you.
Its light is brilliant, casting all doubts and fears
Into unknown recesses.
It wraps its arms around you,
And your wings fold, desperate for anything, everything.
I can feel the tears that streak your face
Bury into the crux of my being,
And though I can't relieve your fright
I still whisper "you'll be all right."