The late night melody Strikes with a hollow echo. I sit alone, In stillness, A pendulum of rhythm swinging gently. This quiet ache is vast I cannot bind a spirit to remain. The ghosts of memory arrive Sharp and unrelenting The lamplit hours of study The warmth of spoken thoughts, The shared, deep sleep A peace so profoundly meaningful. How swiftly that bright Time abandoned us. These recollections are mere shadows now A habit of the mind I must unlearn. I am mending. I hold the certainty of my own healing. -Albatross ✍🏻🕊️