Ashes

Ashes

By Muriel Palanca

Amidst the flames and glowing embers
Burns a picture of us.
Fraying at the edges like the curling petals of a dying lily,
The fragile fringes close in like the
Invisible walls that brought us to ruins in the first place.
The ghosts of your past leaving fingerprints on your heart,
Leaving hollow impressions on our bed,
Taking up space in the background of our Polaroids.
Too many voices fighting for a piece of amnesty
When I would have surrendered for some peace of mind.
But now it’s just you and me, separately carving space,
Making room for others to keep us company,
Building walls to see who will be willing to break them down.
And as the last memory of us turns to ashes,
I wonder if a phoenix
Could ever fall in love.