I Hear You

My heart dries in a simmering sun.
Years bear demons upon me.
My skin, worn –
My name – almost forgotten.

I step onto the ladder before me.
Shedding the layers, I climb.
A gush of applause within me roars.

I can hear you, only a whisper…
Above the night and through the leaves,
You rustle with the all of everything.

At the summit, I squeeze my hands
To feel the release of time –
and then…quietly…
You walk in, gleaming,
With moon, sun, and stars.