Shadows of Smoke

I’ve buried too many, more than I can bear,

Friends and family no longer there.

I see their faces in dreams and in pain,

Their laughter stolen, like tears in the rain.

Foils and pipes, their tools of despair,

A fleeting escape from a world unfair.

Balloons once filled with joy and delight,

Now hold the poison that snuffs out their light.

I watched them fade, one by one,

Like stars extinguished before the sun.

Too young to be gone, too bright to fall,

But the smoke and shadows consumed them all.

Their voices echo in the silence I keep,

Their memories haunt when I try to sleep.

How many more will I have to lose,

To this cruel fate, this path they choose?

But it’s not just them—it’s all of us too,

Turning our heads, not knowing what to do.

Our love isn’t enough, our grief’s not the cure,

The weight of this fight feels so unsure.

Yet I refuse to let their stories end,

Their lives mean more than the way they spent.

I’ll scream their names, I’ll light the flame,

And fight to save others from this same shame.

For each lost soul, I’ll take a stand,

Reach out with love, extend my hand.

We’ve lost too many, but it’s not too late,

To fight this battle, to change their fate.

So here I am, with tears in my eyes,

Pleading for change under the skies.

Not one more friend, not one more kin—

Let’s start the fight, and let love win.