A quiet whisper in the dark,
A plea sent outward through the rain,
To keep a distant, fading spark
And shield a brother from his pain.
I lift my hands and let them fall,
I surrender what I cannot mend,
And place against that distant wall
The safety of a lifelong friend.
Take the history that we made,
The twenty-five years of stone and light,
And let the bitter choices fade,
If it means he survives the night.
I do not ask to hold the line,
Or claim the days that used to be,
Just let his stars continue to shine,
Even if they shine away from me.