Ancient Threads
A thousand times my brother,
And a thousand more my lover
And countless when I knew him
As a friend for whom I cared.
The other always close at hand,
Two souls reborn as if they planned
To spend successive lifetimes
Fates unwittingly ensnared.
But in this life our fates diverged
Instead my chest and dagger merged
In darkened alley late one eve
With robber's savage thrust of hand
He looked at me, lain on the stair
Eyes first cruel, and then with care.
I stared back and strained for breath
And saw at last the cosmic plan.
So many lives as one we saw
Them all at once, we stared in awe
'Til the last, a horrid end.
For rending ancient threads he must atone.
I spoke the name he'd born once when
The closest lovers we had been.
My soul slipped free forever and
His lives forever more were spent alone.
Copyright © 2001 by Kevin Kelm. All rights reserved.