Riding on Coattails

It’s the idea of me

Really

That you pine for

It’s not the way

I am

 

You’re an atheist

And I

Am not.

 

I believe

So you don’t

Have to

 

So you don’t have to

Embarrass yourself

 

Intellectually

Speaking

 

There’s just no foundation

For faith

 

No justifiable explanation

In fact, it’s mostly based on

Feelings

Of which you say

I have none

 

Remember when you said

I was your sunshine?

 

You said you couldn’t live

Without the light

 

That is true, my love.

 

But I

Am not

The source.

_________________________

 

You refused to give compliments, to say I love you or happy birthday

You said actions speak louder

They do.

_________________________

 

It’s true my love

If you believe

There is no light

Beyond what

You alone

Can create

You will

Live in darkness

For this simple fact

_______________________________________

That which illuminates

Cannot be illuminated

Except by something brighter

_______________________________________

In other words

It gets mighty dark

For the guy

Behind the flashlight

_________________

Furthermore

If you go around

Being the flashlight

In everyone else’s life

And you don’t believe

There is a bigger, brighter flashlight

Of which you are

one of many

You’ll be the only one working

For the ones you love

And they’ll be fine

Until you burn up and burn out

________

Eventually

they’ll learn

how to shine on their own

And figure out there is

an unlimited source of light

To draw on anytime

________________

That’s when they’ll

Inevitably leave you

in the dark

again, wondering

how it all went wrong

Make my day