Gather the Shepherds

Gather in the shepherds;
They know nothing of sheep.
The flock dies as I lie awake.
Only one is lost
But it was the only one, the only sheep,
The only thing that mattered to me.
How dare you sacrifice my love?
I died the day you let her go.

But my ghost moves on
The day windy and I thin,
So haggardly I continue
Watching dogged steps.
Half my mortal soul aflame,
I swear I’ll keep her
If it damns me to a hell
Deeper than hers.
But how dare you set her into that world?
She was a girl—
Not mine, but only a girl—
She needed you despite her words.
Your love broke her skin,
Your words pierced like glass,
But they kept her strong.

Every price is measured in blood
Every smile balanced by pain
Every life altered by sorrow
But where were you when God touched the heavens
And the first star was born?
Rest lightly; I’ll have her yet.