lament of the lighthouse – 2005?

Here’s another old piece. I remember riding in my friend ruben’s truck while reading this aloud to him, and just seeing the competitive look in his face.

lament of the lighthouse
by chris avila

burning the lighthouse was their first mistake.
light would prove useful when navigating the rocks
as bodies washed ashore,
i notice their faces still registered surprise
that look men get when they realize its too soon,
debts unpaid, husbands, fathers and sons stolen from home.

that night we swore we’d never be like them.
we thought of the lifeless bodies
that never washed ashore.
no one knows what became of them.
did they ever exist?
if immortality is gained through legend,
then was their life a gift in vain?
the last of the flames
are caressed by night’s whispers
and i’m the only one left awake.
it’s time i went home.