Elizabeth

Elizabeth stood before the firelight
Her shadow lingered upon the wall
A silent dance,
A staggering vision,
An everlasting ballet only my eyes could see

I embraced her as though we were one,
Cheek to cheek,
Breast to breast,
And slowly, ever so slowly, we waltzed.
Inching our way across the old, creaky wood
Twirling our past before it settled with the dust on the floor

We waltzed to our lives together
To our children's, and their children too
We waltzed to our eternal friendship
Stopping only to toast our very fine love
While the music of angels played softly in the background
A wistful melody
Indeed, an ominous song

Elizabeth fell asleep in the arms of darkness
warmed under a blanket of stars
she smiled the sleepy smile of midnight dreams
drifting effortlessly
like the freedom of wind
soaring peacefully
once again a little girl
awakened, she was, only upon the intrusion of white doves
and the smell of fresh flowers...

There, in a garden behind heaven's gate.