For too long she has walked

For too long she has walked
through her days with the mask
of stone before her soul, until now
when for some reason that is perhaps
a moment of fate or maybe
a chance accident of fortune he opens
the door and suddenly the sun
shines through the shadows
and across the blanket of sorrows
within which she is wrapped.

She sheds the shroud of the blanket
feeling the warmth of the rays
move in fingers across her shoulders
and slowly wind their way toward
the ice that encases her heart
as she takes hesitant steps
toward the door in hope

he might still be there
and perhaps would like to join her
and listen to more of the tale of her days
as the sun moves across
the long afternoon of their lives

while nearby the sea sings
into their ears a shared song
that brings the same sad smile
to both their faces.