Mentor

The steady light
at the edge of the storm;
not the fire that burns,
but the lantern that shows the way.

No tangled threads or whispers of maybe;
only the peace of knowing
he will carry me
when the world weighs too much.

Unopened doors and lines never crossed,
trust forged in promises, in love
for the lives we’ve built,
the hearts we both hold elsewhere.

Just a strong hand on my shoulder,
a life raft in deep water,
a soft place to land;
and when silence settles between us,
it is not empty,
it is just enough.