They walk away together.
And he takes her hand, small and beautiful
Into his own large and rough one.
His fingers are sturdy, hers like delicate dancers.
He has changed since she came
His edges are softer, he has vulnerability
Where there was philosophy and innate strength.
Her brightness has caught him unawares
Has infused him, without him realising it.
It is enough to make one smile.
They walk away together into the windswept darkness
And he takes her hand, that small birdlike hand
And when he holds it in his own
It is as if he truly holds a fledgling bird
With its heartbeat pulsing in his palm.
Trudie Shannon
