Muted crimson tap-tapping when petals meet stone,
a quiet nod to time’s relentless tread.
Perpetual change, the ever-present flow
of life and death, time and distance.
Pain, a companion best met in the now,
not deferred to a future just beyond reach.
Gentle farewells and riversongs soft,
cross lips edged with faint half-smiles,
while cheeks marked by fugitive tears
begin their soft embrace of acceptance.
The Truth About Tigers 