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.