Standing there a moment,
Face pressed to the glass
Watching the raindrops fall
From the sky, landing with small
"splats"
On the ground
Valerian is crying again
Wonder why?
He has lost to Fate this one time
At first, there was panic,
Tainted with fear
Screaming their angry questions
To the sky
Now the only sound the raindrops
Hitting the cement

No one speaks, lost in their thoughts
Of what has been, what will be
The walls are white, stripped of color
A reminder of the future
There are no tears to be seen
For they were sucked dry long ago
No emotions, coursing through
Still bodies, hearts beating so slow
A final sigh, turning back to
The bed, climbing under covers
Eyes shut tightly, waiting
For the unknown

Sleep comes
To steal everyone away
For the last time
A faint whisper of a breeze
Nothing left unsaid
As if He Himself
Is soothing the souls of the dead

Outside, the rain pounds
The ground, a great sobbing torrent
Sliding down the shattered glass
But it matters not
The wetness seeping in
To the cold unfeeling skin
And He draws the curtain over them
As a loving father covers
His sleeping child
Only this time,
The sleep is eternal.

Children's prayer from another world: "As I lay me down to sleep, I pray
the lord my soul to keep. Should I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my
soul to take."

Penned by my hand on the 21st of Chakros, in the year 62 MA.