Leaves in a Stream
Once, years ago, I had a vision,
that was more like a terrible dream,
I saw everyone that I ever knew,
floating as leaves down Life�s Stream,
I saw my leaf float next to each,
and with several I thought I would stay,
but the water swirled and Current of Time,
carried them one by one away,
Then new leaves linked up with mine,
and stayed for a while with the old,
but sooner or later each one departed,
and on down the stream it rolled,
Each leaf stayed it�s own length of time,
some were shorter and others quite long,
and I didn�t really notice them drifting away,
until sadly they were almost gone,
I felt then that I should reach out to them,
but my desire, like our closeness, was weak,
for the farther they move away from me,
our connection waned more from it�s peak,
When once we were bonded so very close,
I couldn�t imagine them not with me,
but by the time they were gone beyond reach,
it was a separation that I almost didn�t see,
Yet I painfully remembered the moment we let go,
(realizing this one was leaving my life forever,)
the promise we each had made to the other,
To every �Will you ever leave?� each had said �Never.�
But most were now gone and our pledges broken,
Yet by the time that we could no longer touch,
it was a poignantly sad thing to have to admit,
that neither of us cared about the loss very much,
For new leaves came to each of us in time,
and I had a few I was sure would always stay,
But after so many losses I began to fear,
that even my closest would drift off someday,
So I clung to those leaves that I had left,
and warned them to watch for the current,
But finally, the one I trusted most slipped off,
and I cried at the vision and the whole event,
At once, this nightmare began to come true,
for a friend saw it with me and swore not to go,
but that night was the last time I ever saw him,
and where he is now I may never know,
This haunted me for years and told all my friends,
still I lost a few heedless ones and began to fear,
that I might lose even my closest friend,
after loving each other for many a year,
It was her that I held most of my faith in,
despite my vision and its ominous prophesy,
I thought our bond was forged too strong,
for Time or Life or Fate to affect her and me,
But I found that I cannot control the stream,
or the leaves that ride it or where they float,
And finally after fifteen years as my best friend,
she left me deliberately, and sent a �Dear John� note,
That was the final proof that my vision was true,
that time will always steal loved ones and friends,
and even a forewarning revelation won�t stop it,
for the power of Fate always wins out in the end.