Mirage Poem by Jacqueline Dougherty

I'm so lost in this desolate land
I wander aimlessly to find a place
Frantically I search and search, but nothing.
I stumble over the twigs and trip in the sand
Empty hopes drain my sights
I continue to move hoping for something,
something to take me to safety,
something to keep me company,
something that will care for me.
Then, something catches my eye,
I turn and I see you ahead in the desert sun
all smiles and waving me over.
So I run with full speed
as waves of memories overcome me.
I anticipate the strength of your arms,
the warmth of your love,
the scent of your skin
as you see me after so long.
But I stop dead in my tracks.
It was not you who I saw but....
A mirage.
Why did my hopes rise?
I knew you wouldn't come
but my heart cruelly tricked me
somehow I thought you would save me
like before, but now I know.
Stuck in this wasteland I'll be
forever, lost, helpless
until the day you realize you really care.
But for now, you are just a mirage.
An image on my eyelid and nothing more.
Fake. Imaginary. Not here.
Still I'm lost in this desolate land.....