I Stand Alone

I Stand Alone

Eric Anthony Crew

Into the green fields and luscious foliage I roam,

Embracing the sweet smell of roses and flowers as I tread,

Smiling, wider still, I inhale the particles of air and dander that beseech my lungs to a deeper taste.

Around myself, a great loneliness encompasses me,

And I realize that within that feeling I am comforted, for I am never truly alone.

The towering trees wash over me with their cold shadows,

Kissing my skin lightly as I wander further into the path that beckons me.

What great thoughts and images I endure that I will never remember?

What horrible things have I done that I will never forget?

A bittersweet complacency fills me as I realize nothing matters most than this moment interred.

And my eyes open wide once again to my reality,

My solemn expression brightens the cold city that surrounds me.

The symphony of the wind cuts into my ears as the temperature melts into my consciousness.

The busy lives of many men flow like a stream between the still and silent buildings around me.

My breath escapes from me and is torn away into the night.

As I search the crowd for another to notice as I do the inconsequential details of life.

I once again look up from the masses and watch as the empty sky swallows the rooftops.

And suddenly, I remember the roses blooming and the sun fleeting through the leaves in the trees.

I remember the smells of spring and the tides of a distant shore calling.

And again, amidst the crowd under the shrouding darkness of the city,

I remember that immense loneliness.

And as the next pass of wind washes over me a smile spreads,

For that is the most comforting feeling of all.