Now, Not Then

Now as I stand
Staring into the emptiness,
A scroll of what was
Unrolls itself,
The pain, the agony
And the silent sighs
Of an enduring heart.

What imminent danger lay in wait?
Neither illness nor age
No malignant malady,
Perhaps a hard word
From one of her kins
Wrought havoc in her mind,
A heart that knew only to feel
And feel deeply for others
Was thus stilled.