Reduco
to draw backwards, bring back, lead home

The sun behind her
the light shining through her hair
a corona around her head
a goddess afire
her laugh breaks the mirage
she turns and a smile shapes her lips
the touch
always the touch
all I remember
and now I seek to retain
to return to this Age
in the moment
in the moment before she falls
the ground breaking apart
the ground shaking apart
the moment that she falls
I cannot reach her
the smile leaves her lips
the moment that she falls away from me
away from my reach
I cannot reach her
in that moment.

And then she is gone.

I open the book, and take the pen. My ink is almost gone. I turn to the first page, and then the next. Here, I take note, and here again. The pounding at the door has stopped, the voices gone away. And here, also, and here. I dip my pen in the ink and carefully transform this character and then this one. I close my eyes. Not too much, I pray, I cannot lose her. The changes, they will give the ground another chance, they will push her forward in time. And here, this one here. I cannot delay any longer. I turn to the page and touch the panel.

The sun behind her
the light shining through her hair
a corona around her head
a goddess afire
her laugh breaks the mirage
she turns and a smile shapes her lips
the touch
always the touch
all I will ever remember
and now I seek yet again to retain
to return to this Age
in the next moment
in the next moment when she does not fall
but the ground is breaking apart
the ground is again shaking apart
the moment now she falls
I still cannot reach her
the smile leaves her lips
the moment that she falls away from me
away from my reach
I cannot reach her
in that moment again.

And then she is gone.

I open the book, and take the pen. My ink is barely there. I turn to the first page, and then the next, and then the next. I turn another page, and then I take note, and turn again. The pounding at the door has returned, the voices tell me to stop. I dip my pen in the ink and carefully transform this character, but only this one. I cannot delay any longer. I turn to the page and touch the panel.

The sun behind her
the light shining through her hair
a corona around her head
a goddess afire
her laugh breaks the mirage
she turns and takes a step toward me
a smile shapes her lips
the touch
always the touch
all I can remember
and now I struggle to retain
to return to this Age
in this moment
in this moment when she will not fall
but the ground is now breaking apart
the ground is shaking apart
the moment comes and now she falls
I step but cannot reach her
the smile leaves her lips
the moment that she falls away from me
away from my reach
I cannot reach her
in this moment.

And then she is gone.

I open the book, and take the pen. My ink is a drop or two. I turn the pages, and the pounding grows louder, the door is shattering, the voices are coming. I dip my pen in the ink and the ink is gone. I brush this character and this one, and I turn to the page and touch the panel.

The sun is in the sky,
 and the ground is not shaking.
I step forward, 
and the ground does not break apart.
The sun is shining, the ground is solid,
there is no shaking apart.
I look to catch that smile, to find the touch,
 always the touch, in this moment,
 when the sun is shining 
and the ground is not shaking,
 is not breaking apart.
I have returned to this Age, to reach her,
 to hear her laugh, 
to catch that smile, 
in my reach.

But she is not there.
She has never taken a step.
The sun has never shined through her hair.
I have returned to this Age, to reach her, to hear her laugh, to catch that smile, but there is no laugh, there is no smile,
 there has never been a smile.
Never in my reach.
Never the touch.
All I remember, is all I have, 
in this moment, in my reach.
In this moment.
In my reach.
All I have, is all I remember.

And now she is gone.