In the darkness, my friends without shields
Walk boldly on the target, unyielding
Late at night, the windows shatter
But they move forward, without a word
My friends without shoes, leaving behind
All that they hold dear, grief trailing behind
Like a fire among its bells
They turn on the dial and then part ways
Names like gloves, they set out bare handed
Unknown and unnoticed, but leaving their mark
Laying wreaths at milestones, cups at the wells
Chained up, their struggles unseen
Without feet, they sit by the wall
Nodding to the orchestra of the broken
Brotherhood, it whispers in the darkness
As my friend without eyes smiles in the rain
With a nest of salt in his hand
My friends without fathers or houses
Hear doors opening in the darkness
An announcement of smoke coming home
In common, we hold the present
A wax bell in a wax belfry
Hunger for the sake of hunger
Owls in our hearts, and hands
One for asking, one for applause
Leaving behind what we have in a box
My friends without keys, leaving the jails at night
Taking the same road, missing each other
Inventing the same banner in the dark
Asking their way only of sentries too proud to breathe
At dawn, the stars on their flag will vanish
The water will wash away their footprints
And the day will rise like a monument
To my friends, the forgotten
Whose struggles go unseen
But whose presence will not be forgotten. (\"Friends\") by Courtney Weaver Jr.