Dhadowless Man

A gentle, cold breeze stirred his thinning hair, Setting him apart from the rocks by the shore.
The sun prepared to set, And the shadowless man, lost in thought, Gazed at the orange sands.
Tonight, the fifth moon of that planet Would align with the other four, Forming an arc across the sky— A celestial curve known as the sky’s smile.
Though across the sea, Those watching its reflection upon the dark waters Might call it the ocean’s smile instead.
A quarter to midnight, The sound of a carriage disrupted The solo symphony of the waves.
It was the trader’s carriage, Driven by the same stout, short man With a yellowed beard— A grin indistinguishable from his teeth.
He greeted the carriage driver with a nod. "Everything ready?"
"Yes, sir!"
He opened the small wooden box. Only a small dose of the elixir remained.
He left it untouched inside, Then handed the box to the carriage driver.
"This is all that’s left."
The driver weighed it in his hand, As if his fingers were scales.
"Thank you, sir. Even this much will help many. They believe in you, And what better time than when the moons smile?"
His laugh was crude as he rode away.
The air grew colder. Preparing the elixir, with his state of mind, Had become impossible.
So instead, He looked toward the sea, And thought of her.
Perhaps he should not have sent her beyond the water. Perhaps then, They could have watched this same sea, From the same shore.
Then, there would be no need for the elixir.
Maybe he had been influenced By the traders' words, Though he refused to admit it.
Or perhaps He had underestimated The weight of longing.
A mistake had been made— That much he knew.
She had been cast away For nothing more Than a love beyond consciousness.
Since the beginning, Each night, Just before dawn,
From both shores of the sea, A single phrase echoed through the sky:
"If only, without borders, we were here!" "If only, without borders, we were here!" "If only, without borders, we were here!"