Hope

In my hand, I hold a part of her

A piece insignificant, inconceivable

I unfurl my fist, close it again

I hide her light, see it again.

She is vulnerable, she is bare

Barred behind my fingers, an eternal jail

They all left, but she stayed

She serves her misery

Each day, she breaks apart

Each day, a bit is released

As soft and quiet as a sigh into the wind

Each day, one of us surrenders her

Surrenders to a battle fought in vain.

I see her still in your face and theirs

Some bright, some ebbing away

Some nestled deep within the soul

Some on the fingertips

Awaiting the escape.

She flutters within my hand

I open my fist, I watch her

She smiles up at me, she sees me

She knows who I am, what I need.

She tells me as she told those before

That though she knows my heart, my deep desire

She can do nought more.

She has the match, but she cannot light the fire

My heart plummets at her truth,

I nearly let her go

Till she looks at me, a silent plea

No sorrow

No anger, no fear

Just her mercy and the match she offers to me.

In her eyes, I know she knows

Of the wicked, wretched heart I hide beneath

Yet she will not let go

I watch her

She lifts the match higher.

She was left behind when they all left

When Pandora opened her cursed jar

To torment, to mourn, to kill

They left, and she remained

And watched the sky rain fire.

They say Pandora closed the jar,

Before she could escape

But in truth, the jar was wide open

She could leave, yet she stayed.

A piece hidden in each of our hearts

She is God, and she is love

She is company, she is family

She is Hope

And she is always left behind.