Floating through this ignited
city I see souls in search
of missing halves.

Like mixed puzzle
pieces, the perfect fit
exists within reach,

a breath of a distance,
a face upturned and silenced.
I join one congregation,

gathered in near darkness,
and check my past at time’s closet,
where a stern attendant stands guard

in a spotless suit and a list of names.
Melting anonymously in the crowd,
I look for my fractured whole,

finding comfort among those who have lost
and those who have never found.
Ours is a midnight bond,

strengthened by song,
lifted by drink.
Here, wrinkles are smoothed,

youth is aged,
and the inner scars of both groups
is pressed into laughter.

Memory flows upstream,
and so too does the heart,
pounding away in hope with its half beats.

Lifted (C) 2010 by Vincent Lowry