As you crawl away, you can take our pain

you used to douse sparkling instants of bliss,

but you can not take the sufferers for they

are ours to grasp in softly clenched hands.

As you crawl away, you can take our fear

you used to smother our days and dreams,

but you can not take our memories; they

are ours to place in view or to secret away.

As you crawl away, you can take absences

you used to dishearten, to foster our doubts,

but you can not take our joys in reunion for

they are our final admissions of our needs.