Not Eternal Love

Beneath a sky of weeping grey, a sigh escapes her lips,

Elena traces worn armchair, the memory on her fingertips.

Rain lashes at the windowpane, a rhythm mimicking her heart,

A dull ache settles in her chest, a story due to depart.

Five years, a chasm carved by time, since Liam walked this way,

His eyes, summer sky so bright, stole her breath each day.

A laugh, a melody that chased away the darkest storm,

A love story, whispered, seemed to keep them safe and warm.

But fairytales are fragile things, with pages worn and thin,

Life, a cruel editor, cuts where love once might have been.

Liam, with dreams that stretched beyond their sleepy town's embrace,

Yearned for a world unseen, a different kind of space.

Elena, young and rooted deep, couldn't grasp his need to roam,

Her tears, a desperate plea, begging him to make her home.

He held her with a gentle touch, his voice a mournful song,

"I need to fly," he said, "to where my spirit can belong."

Vows were made on trembling lips, a promise whispered low,

To keep the flame of love alive, watch the embers gently glow.

Letters flowed, ink-stained tears, a lifeline in the night,

But slowly, words grew sparse, replaced by fading light.

Silence fell, a heavy cloak, suffocating and profound,

The echo of their love, a ghost with no echoing sound.

Elena ached, a constant throb, a space beside her bare,

But life, a river rushing on, refused to let her despair.

Art became her solace then, a canvas, her release,

Vibrant colors wove a tale, of bittersweet decrease.

Paintings that once held futures bright, now bore a shadowed hue,

A testament to love's embrace, a memory, soft and true.

One rainy day, a knock on wood, shattered the quiet scene,

A silhouette beneath the porch, a face, a long-lost dream.

Liam, with lines etched on his skin, stood hesitant in the light,

His eyes held vulnerability, a flicker in the night.

Embraces chased away the years, a scent of rain and past,

Words spilled forth, a waterfall, memories built to last.

Yet beneath the surface churned, a current, cold and deep,

Two souls reshaped by journeys, secrets promises to keep.

Liam spoke of distant lands, adventures etched in rhyme,

Cultures that broadened his mind, in a space beyond all time.

A restlessness still lingered, in the depths of his dark gaze,

A yearning for the unknown, etched in a thousand ways.

Elena, with quiet pride, showcased her art so bright,

The paintings, bittersweet echoes, holding love's fading light.

Liam lingered on a scene, of youth beneath the sun,

Two figures intertwined as one, before the journey begun.

The rain subsided, golden light bathed the room in a soft glow,

An unspoken truth hung heavy, a seed of what they know.

No longer teenagers, clinging to a promise made,

Life had taken them on paths, on separate journeys laid.

They walked familiar streets, ghosts of laughter in the air,

Memories, bittersweet bouquets, blooming where love once dared.

They laughed, they cried, they shared their scars, emotions raw and true,

But with each passing hour, the gulf between them grew.

The train station, final stand, a goodbye whispered low,

No desperate plea, just acceptance, letting emotions flow.

The train pulled away, a metal snake that swallowed him whole,

And Elena felt a quiet loss, a story taking its toll.

But through the tears, a newfound strength, a wisdom hard-won prize,

Love, though not eternal, leaves a mark in gentle sighs.

A memory, a lesson learned, a flame that used to burn,

Now embers glowing softly, as she faces life's return.

She turns towards the horizon, where the sun peeks through the clouds,

The future stretches out before her, shrouded yet unbowed.

With love's bittersweet tattoo etched upon her very soul,

Elena takes a steady breath, ready to make her own whole.