Your flame flickers briefly—
a parting whisper.
Some trick of the river
mimics your laughter.
We stand apart at sunset
lost in natsukashii,
come together in darkness
to watch the dead pass on.
Your light has fallen now
to shadow
beneath the bridge.
By Ryan Stone
First published by Napalm and Novocain
Republished by PoetryNook
photo source
Sarah Russell Poetry 
Thank you, Sarah. Very kind 🙂
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Well deserved, Ryan.
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Lovely poem, as well as lovely introduction, for me, to the lantern festival.
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Of all the ways cultures have of honoring their dead, I think this tradition is the most beautiful, Gallivanta. Glad I could introduce you to it through Ryan’s poem.
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Always lovely to read Ryan’s work. This one is so beautiful!
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I agree, Rajani. Every word carries its weight. So much emotion, tightly held.
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