Shapes in the Clouds

I heard the news, it chilled my soul,
A friend now lost, time took its toll.
The years have flown, yet here I stand,
A boy’s memories close at hand.
The sky unfolds its endless shrouds,
And I see shapes within the clouds.

Remember when we’d chase the breeze,
Barefoot under towering trees?
We shaped the clouds with pointed cries,
“A dragon there! A horse that flies!”
Our laughter echoed long and loud,
In fields beneath those fleeting clouds.

But time’s cruel hand, it bends the knee,
To youth’s bright flame, now memory.
I see us now, young, brave, and strong,
As if life’s tune were just one song.
The notes of joy, both clear and proud,
Still linger soft among the clouds.

The last time that we met to speak,
The years had etched their lines, unique.
Yet still your smile, that boyish grin,
Recalled the days where dreams begin.
The sky then stretched its velvet crowd,
And we saw shapes within the clouds.

Now clouds alone bear witness here,
To whispered names and a single tear.
Your voice, though stilled, lives in my chest,
A ghost of youth that won’t find rest.
Above, the shapes weave shrouds unbowed,
As if to guard you in the clouds.

So here I stand, the fields the same,
The grass now whispers your dear name.
Beneath the sky, where time is thin,
I feel your laughter in the wind.
The past and present both allowed,
To blend like shapes within the clouds.