Shining stars and broken hearts

You so lovingly collected in jars

Forgetting your fears to trek into the forest when the moon glowed bright

I found you there singing to the plants in the quiet night

Eyes scared but curious hands cautiously reaching to mine

You grabbed my hand and pulled me away and just like that our souls were bind

We ran in the grass wet with dew

All these feelings foreign and new

Hearts pounding hands locked we failed to see the shadows that followed us

The snapping of branches and the yells in the distance growing with every step

The beautiful flowers ignited and you began to weep

For it was your job to keep them safe while they sleep

I wrapped my arms around you wiping away tears made of love and dreams and hope

You saw the inevitable and kissed my cheeks your lips soft as the tulips that turned to ash

Then before me you walked into the flames and faced the monsters as they slash

You fought a battle you knew you wouldn't win as they carved patterns into your lovely skin

You looked back at me for a single, fleeting moment before crumpling to the ground

Your eyes conveying something so much stronger than any sound

Then you were dead, and in the torchlight I realized that monsters don't live under the bed

They are the ones who tuck you in and kiss your head

-c.m.