We Never Dreamed

When our world collapsed 

under the weight of melted metal

Some of us raced death down stairwells to stand 

barefoot between charred towers of time

We dreamed of many futures

but we never dreamed of becoming survivors

Survivors, sharpened by the brashness of loss, 

became skeptical of too much softness

Soundless but not soft, grief glided in to us 

with its full white sails and anchored itself

In defiance, we whispered hopeful plans to empty sides of the bed 

We stared at the sun in our dreams and woke in disbelief 

to the glare of spaces left unoccupied by the ones who loved us

Through sorrow-weary eyes

we chased, caught, and gathered the thing with feathers 

Together we interlocked meaning into new moments 

with brittle twigs of time 

When love finally lifted our chins

We had the courage to pray for God to take us by the wings 

and guide us to the orchards heavy with the scent of a fresh start