Minor Characters

There can be such thunder in our hearts,
Echoing in the distance or up close shaking our window panes
But sometimes I choose to go quietly.

You were a fortress with chin resting on knees,
Silhouetted in the hall,
Back perfectly aligned against the wall.

Your voice gave shape to worlds.
You conducted a symphony as your finger met parchment
And every word a crescendo.

I read your story well and bookmarked my favorite pages.
Honored that you shared it with me,
I'm at peace being a footnote on the pages where I lingered.

You were a kindness,
A story that I would prefer to keep reading, now or later,
But all good stories deserve good endings.

Let me down gently so I may be lost in that slow current
Of well-worn remembrance,
Because nothing ever reads as good as when read in nostalgia.