I turned the friendship around in my hands,
Inspecting from all sides.
Love had lingered here, fed by hope
That love would be returned.
And soon, or someday, this snow globe, hourglass fragile friendship
Could act as beacon to others on the verge
Of crashing, guts and sand, life and water spilling on the floor.
Smog from the flames of a trying world licked and spat
Air and atmosphere choke with smoke
Obscuring tomorrow
Our snow globe, hourglass fragile friendship
Grows dingy, clogged and smogged
Hope blackened, light dimming
But tired and regretful fingers
Turn this aging prize, peering for
One last sand of hope or fleck of snow-hope to swirl
I almost cannot see through the smoke-smogged glass,
But wait! One full turn
Where last one finger touched, smeared away the soot of doom
Each full turn reveals again a finger print
A touch-shaped window, size enough
for another hopeful peer
Into dismal glass night, discouraged day
And see hope alive.