“The City Without You”

 

I hear a voice on the radio,

a voice I’ve never known.

I see colors in this city,

colors I’ve never seen before.

I’ve come back —

to the place where we once lived,

the place where you are no longer.

 

This city used to shine.

I wonder if you, from somewhere far away,

still see this place too.

 

With my hand in my pocket, feeling what’s left there,

I lift my eyes to the gray sky and whisper:

Is there still strength in me?

Can I step onto the train again,

the one that once stood still,

and find a way to move forward?

 

When I close my eyes, I hear you:

“Look inside your hand.”

And there —

your heart, your love,

once so true, so steady,

still rests with me.

Because of that,

I know I’ll be okay.

 

Even when I believed I couldn’t make it,

you were there beside me.

Even when I was out of breath,

just seeing you brought me back to life.

 

Now, standing here, eyes closed,

I hear you once more:

“Look inside your hand.”

There it is —

your heart, your love,

gathering around me,

wrapping me in a quiet warmth.

That warmth is who I am now.

And even if you’re no longer here,

you’re always with me.

 

When the light finally breaks through the heavy clouds,

I’ll take a new step forward.

I’m no longer young,

but I’ll cross a bridge I’ve never seen,

listening to a melody I’ve never heard,

and walk into the city

slowly beginning to shine again.

 

With you —

always, quietly, in my pocket.