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.