Across the Bay

A cold hymn echoes low across the bay
Like the sound of old church bells in winter.
Your voice offers just a whisper,
And then, at once, the whisper fades away
As your hand brushes mine.

We played here as kids, and I was afraid
Of the day we’d grow up and say goodbye.
We walked along the water’s side
And pretended we owned the world, until
The night drained out the day. 

Alone, the birds never fly quite as high 
Or quite as beautiful as they somehow should.
And feelings I once withstood
Now spread through my soul like water through sand
Beating warm rhythm again. 

We grew older, but goodbye never came. 
We found a life we both wanted and feared;
I watched the grey skies turn clear,
Because I learned that even in the shadows
The heart finds new ways to see. 

An old song echoes against the water
But it’s not the sound of bells this time—
Just a lullaby intertwined
With aged memories of distant world
But not so distant love.

Copyright 2013 by Ashley Williams