Memorial IV

As my heart burned
I discovered memory
turning the sky to dust
your death
into a simple prayer
for rain
and now
remembering you
slowly
becomes a ritual
robbing us both.
New fires move
between me and your sacred face
flashing
on and off in the corners of snapshots
and in tonight’s weather report
where I heard
echoes of your name
spelled backward.

I thought I could discover you
in myself
as I wakened
your name still on my tongue
haunting my own life
without regret or sorrow
but nothing
is more cruel
than waiting and hoping
an answer will come.