Obligation.

I built the hearth where you all came to warm,

I sheltered you through every biting gale,

I anchored you against the rising storm,

And lent my strength whenever yours grew frail.

 

I gave my harvest while the fields were green,

I poured my cup until the well ran dry,

Believing in a bond that felt serene,

A tether forged beneath a shared blue sky.

 

But now the winter settles in my bones,

The clockwork slows, the shadows stretch and creep;

I sit amidst these cold and hollow stones,

With promises you swore that you would keep.

 

My steps are heavy, and the world is wide,

Yet silence is the answer I receive;

You turn your faces, choosing now to hide,

With nothing left to offer or believe.

 

It’s crystal clear beneath this setting sun,

A lesson carved in lines upon my face:

The race of friendship, once so nobly run,

Was but a contract kept with hollow grace.

 

You taught me well—that love is just a debt,

A ledger balanced by the things we do;

And since I’m broken, useless, and in debt,

I’m suddenly a stranger, even to you.