A LAST LAMENT

Do Not Let Them Take It

Do not let them steal your dream,
Not children, not kin, not time’s cruel scheme.
Your last bright fire, your final light,
Is love remembered through the night.

They’ll say “be sensible,” “put it away,”
But what do they know of your fleeting day?
Your spouse, your dog, your cat by your side,
These are the anchors as years collide.

All else is gone, the battles, the years,
The victories dulled, the losses, the tears.
What matters now is the breath you keep,
The tender dream you refuse to sleep.

So clutch it close, guard it well,
No voice of reason, no sermon, no spell,
Can strip away what your heart still holds—
The dream is yours, more precious than gold.

And when they try to dim the flame,
Stand firm, resist, call it by name.
This love, this memory, this sacred part,
Is the last true kingdom of your heart.

WJS