The Truth About Tigers

Cato once said
nothing is long
that comes to an end—
for when the curtain falls,
all that came before
fades at once,
as if it never was.

Moments, once deemed eternal,
collapse upon themselves,
folding like fragile wings.
Time, the silent thief,
steals what’s left,
tucks it away,
out of reach.

And when we glance back,
searching for the thread,
we find only remnants
of what seemed unbreakable,
gone in the trembling wake
of that final breath.