Everything is dark now,
Nowhere does the sun shine for me.
I can’t remember its bright smile.
I wish I could die,
Be with my family where I belong.
But I am here now.
Stuck with the living.
People are kind to me,
They offer me a home,
Food on my plate,
Friendships and love.
They try to involve me
Get me to play with the other children.
But I am not a child anymore.
I am not anything.
They are kind, but they don’t understand.
The world is black now
And I am smothered by its closeness.
I don’t want to smile,
I don’t want to be happy.
I never want to forget them.
A touch on my shoulder makes me turn,
A smiling face fills the sky,
Warmth and blue are all I see,
Bathed in their light I want to cry.
Seeing what I have lost in his face,
It’s too hard to try.
But he won’t leave me.
He smiles and tells jokes and laughs.
I don’t.
I turn away, black in my face.
He sits by me, quietly watching the others play,
Then when I don’t leave he starts to talk.
He tells a story.
It’s of dragons and fair maidens,
And heroes who’ll brave anything to rescue them.
I’m sure he’s supposed to be the golden warrior he describes.
Hercules is there too, in a minor sort of role.
It sounds like the dragon is growing
Even as the hero fights him.
Firey breath flaming all around.
He’s funny when he talks,
Makes it all seem larger than life.
It’s not true of course,
But it’s getting so hard not to smile.
Join in with his infectious giggle.
Finally the tale is done,
I am silent. I am always silent.
But he hasn’t finished talking,
And as he whispers I feel the wall begin to crumble.
His voice, so sweet in my ear, breaks down my resolve.
It pushes away the black,
Lets in the sun.
I cry.
I cry as if I will never stop.
But he stays with me.
He stays.
And when I’m done,
He smiles
And I smile back.
And when he asks me to tell him,
I do. I bring their laughter and joy
Back to life so that he can see how they were.
He’s right, they deserve at least that from me.
I ask his name now,
And will never forget his words,
“I’m Iolaus, hunter, warrior, slayer of monsters,
And the guy who keeps Hercules out of trouble.”
We smile again, laughter feels so good.
I’d forgotten.
I want to know why he helped me,
He grins at that,
“It’s what I do,” he says,
“I always have to rescue damsels in distress.”
Thankyou.
The black is banished,
Fought to submission by smiles and laughter.
I am ready to walk in the sun again.
Perhaps I might even run.
Thank you my golden warrior.
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