Solace


Poem - by Mary Soon Lee




After the crowds and kowtowing,

the unaccustomed cumbering of armor

to which they'd once been accustomed,

after the imperial burial,

after the coronation,

after giving their oaths

to the son of one for whom

they'd have given their lives,

after that,

just the four of them

in the Peach Courtyard,

trees bare of leaves,

pebbled paths swept clear,

not even a sparrow near,

the four of them walking

without speaking,

slowed to the pace

of the one who leans

on his neighbor's arm,

the slant of the morning light

gilding their gray hair,

no need of words

between those who fought

at each other's side;

no words can undo time;

no words can equal the solace

of each other's company.




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