For Tommy

In friendship's garden, where we once played,
Our words were spring flowers blooming gay.

All of grammar and logic at our beck and call, 
In the linguistic realm, we controlled it all.

Sadly, your heart is now but a brilliant star,
Yet one I can see wherever you are.

In this new silence, all our past words take flight,
As their wings carry me through these bleak nights,

Our past conversations, now a whispered breeze,
Just a rustling of leaves beneath the trees.

In brighter days, we shared all of our hopes and fears–
With love and laughter, with empathy and tears,

Forging bonds beyond space and time so that you and I
Will meet once again in a realm without goodbyes

Where friendship’s language will again know no bounds,
Where tolling bells are still, without a sound.