The last message sent to Arabella by Jacob

 

Press play before reading. Salute.

(A lone voice whispers)

Two of the hardest things you'll ever face in your life 

My listeners 

Wherever in the Great Other Side

You may reside

Is to find the courage to say 

"Hello"

To the one you truly love 

And then the profound strength to pay your respects 

To then whisper

And cry

"Goodbye" 

And so it is with me 

After our love died

For whenever I pause 

In these quiet tranquil moments 

Sat in here 

All by myself

By the moving rocks 

And lost in deep thoughts 

In this swirling grey smoke 

That would make any living person choke

Now I'm a citizen of The Great In-Between 

I sometimes still think about all those long hot Summers nights 

So long ago

When we once walked by the Hawaiian blue sea

Hand in hand

And we were totally unafraid to be seen

I still get drenched by the sweetest thoughts of you and me

Memories of a fierce love

Which must have shone like a blazing lighthouse beacon 

For miles around 

Angels flying above 

Watching 

Must have felt it was a love many could only dream of 

For it was so damn gorgeous and profound

That those hot yellow city lights still carry vivid memories 

Of an extraordinary time, where we held each other's soft hands 

And everything seemed to be just alright 

But like a pale white vulnerable feather

Blowing carefree in the four winds in all weathers

I then always remember 

How you foolishly surrendered to the whims 

Of the Dark Gatherer of all Mortal Temptations

And like an act from the Devil's favorite playbook

Our intense love was viciously ripped from our carefully constructed cross of truth 

By slanderous accusations 

Spoken by jealous crooks

To then be slowly and tragically forgotten 

And following in turn 

Depressingly by so many newly enabled others 

Casually dismembered and shook

With their judgemental narratives 

Singing sad songs of

Theres no chance of Redemption

Now I guess when I reflect

We were like two painful characters from a dystopian fantasy called Twelfth Night

A terrible version of a classic Shakespearean Play

No one cares or even wants to remember

But I'll still treasure and carry those beloved beautiful memories everywhere 

Especially now in December

I'm free from the clutches of life and all its complicated and sometimes crazy games

Of four footsteps walking in unison by the Hawaiian blue sea

Where I'll get ultimately drenched and soaking wet by the sweetest thoughts 

Of just you and me

Memories of a fierce wild unrestricted love

Which still shines so bright today like it once originally did

Towering all above the hot yellow city lights

Of a time we once held soft hands 

And the future seemed so full of auspicious things

 

Which resonated with so much bright red light 

Beloved memories of us entwining to make love by candlelight 

To keep warm throughout all those cold but soul-thrilling 

December winters nights 

When the world seemed so still and perfect 

And all the gossip and racketeers were carefully hidden out of sight

I still miss you 

My beloved Arabella

If only to just hear your lovely soothing voice 

In this neverending twilight

I'm sure it would push back this ever-swirling darkness and show me my own 

Yellow Brick Road to Saint Peter and Heavens welcoming bright white lights 

I'm so proud that I once found the courage to say "Hello

And now 

After all these years

I've now finally found the strength to let you go and say "Goodbye 

I'll always remember you as I ascend

Your one true love who stayed loyal until the very end

And one day when you too wake in the Great In-Between

We'll start over and makeup

Yours forever

Your eternal soulmate whose once mortal name was plain old Jacob

(C)

Copyright John Duffy 

Image shared under fair usage policy.