Slow Dance

I stopped being a child that day
The sun still graced the world with its rays
Laughter was heard as kids played outside the church
But there was a chill in the air
Shadows of trees in the woods
And one small girl holding her cousin's hand
You watched the world,
Feeling its rhythm
The silences
The breaks
Until you could move with it
A slow dance
With an unseen partner
And me
You held my dreams
Pressed firmly against your body
The mind can shatter without warning
You pushed your way deep inside
And I retreated among the ruins
Listening to the birds chirp in the trees
Shadows replaced the light in my eyes
And in the absence of hope I grew up