Sunset

The sky's painted gold
A color almost sandy yellow
To the deep tones of reddish brown
He feels the rays on his face
And his lips pull to a smile

Unwittingly his frail hand
Strays to the side table
Lifting the picture frame
He could see them, their faces bright
How they once were

The four of them stood together
Vowed their allegiance to one another
But slowly drifted apart
Just pawns in the game that was Life
He could see them now, smiling

He holds the picture
To the sun, its fading light
Through panes of shim'ry glass
It catches the light,
Sending colors flying like so many tropical birds

But his jade eyes lie emotionless
Blank and unfocused
He can only feel the warmth on his skin
Tingling, shivering
The light is fading, not just outside, but in his heart

The door opens, admitting three
Their faces anxious, their mouths panting
Gaze at the figure on the cot
They rush over, their arms smothering him
Just like before

They try to help him up
But his legs and knees don't obey
His eyes hold a glimpse of sadness
They put him down
Instead he holds out the frame

Their lips tremble as their eyes stare
At the lovingly kept picture
Tight in three hands
The smiles grace their faces
And he can sense them

A smile crosses his own
Fleetingly, not a second before
He thinks of them,
Winged beings, their wings of heaven
Shielding him from all

He closes his eyes.

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Author's note:

I was singing in the shower when this came to me (not to say, my voice is HORRIBLE
and I know it). I tried to put a song to it, but it didn't quite come to me. So I just
left it as a poem. For those who are confused, the guy with the "frail hands" and the blind
eyes is Youji, the 3 other people are Aya, Ken, and Omi. They visit him, just as he takes
his last breath, and, as I tried to show, his last sunset, albeit the fact he didn't see it.

Andrea Weiling