Cardinal

The years have stolen details from my mind. Your face, once clear, has faded like a print Within an album ready to unbind And plunder from this sadness any hint Of thinning strands and laughing lines around The sweetest smile and brightest silver eyes. I walk across the white, half-frozen ground. As morning wanes, the wind begins to rise. The breeze relieves my sorrow like a sigh, And, suddenly, as if by sacred cue - A flash of red against the cobalt sky. A cardinal of brilliant crimson hue! And as the pangs of grief and joy collide, I feel your spirit walking by my side.