Exeunt, On A Whim

The last I heard were fading steps,
were muffled sniffs and sobs,
the happy jingle of some keys,
the turning of a knob;
And soon as in a bad romance
you took leave from the dance.

I never saw you when you came;
a shadow in the night,
I took no notice when you left
before the earliest light,
Like rain that falls without a sound
to gently kiss the ground.

They say you left me on a whim,
a sudden change of mind,
without a hug or goodbye kiss;
that was unfair, unkind.
You came a guest, as though to stay
but quickly run away.

Just like an errant bird, you flew
beyond my searching eye,
Your voice is lost within the wind,
yourself, within the sky.
As though once confined in a cage
you fluttered off the stage.

And so I did a monologue
entirely unrehearsed,
my voice was echoed through the hall,
and all my lines were versed.
You should have heard it, were you there,
had you some time to spare.

The audience though was unimpressed
and not a head was turned,
they took to chatter 'mongst themselves
with shocking unconcern.
I did my best, but no one heard
for no one really cared.

And so bereft, I left the stage,
before the dimming light,
I could not take the heartbreak of
their condescending slight;
and here, behind the curtains, cry,
but no one wonders why.

Who will complete the final act,
a part to play with me?
I asked for you, but then you begged
that I should let you be.
I gave my best, now I am done,
I must be left alone.