their eyes follow him
in the way
a leaf might follow the wind
forced yet willing
broken off
roots
trunk
and branches
alone in their wind
surrounded by a hundred
different others
they listen
in the way one must
listen to the rain
pounding
down around
you must learn
to stand out
against the crowd
to show others
the way they must be
so that they might learn
to live silhouetted
against the dark
until all you can see is the light
no one stands out
but the one
still darkened.