Wings of Sorrow

I was there when you opened your eyes,
A quiet breath beneath a winter sky.
I learned your fears before you learned your name,
And followed every step you took through rain.

When darkness gathered at the edge of light,
I stayed beside you through the longest nights.
You never saw me, yet I always knew
How much of me was slowly given to you.

Years became seasons,
Seasons became years,
And I carried your sorrows
Like they were my own tears.

I’m so tired, my dear one,
Of catching every fall.
Of mending every fracture
When you build another wall.

I would still move heaven for you,
If heaven asked me to,
But my wings grow a little weaker
Each time I carry you.

You searched for answers in distant lands,
While I swept the ruins from your hands.
You blamed the stars, you blamed the night,
Yet never faced the shadows in your sight.

And though I wished to guide you every day,
Some roads were yours alone to walk away.
I watched you stumble, watched you lose your way,
Knowing I could not save you every time.

Love is not a shelter
That can keep away the storm.
Sometimes it is leaving,
So another soul grows strong.

I’m so tired, my dear one,
Of catching every fall.
Of mending every fracture
When you build another wall.

I would still move heaven for you,
If heaven asked me to,
But my wings grow a little weaker
Each time I carry you.

Tonight the stars are quiet,
The world is standing still.
And for the first time in forever,
I let go of my will.

Not because I stopped believing,
Not because I ceased to care,
But because the child I guarded
Must learn the weight of air.

I’m still here, my dear one,
Just farther than before.
No longer in the shadows
Of every closing door.

And if someday you remember
The voice that pulled you through,
Know every prayer I whispered
Was a gift I gave to you.

The dawn arrives in silence,
Soft gold upon the sea.
You take another step alone…

And that’s enough for me.