A shoelace, caked in mud
abandoned on the rough ground
once a pair that held shoes secure,
yet it waits with a tear
longing for its partner beside the lake
year after year;
sunlight beats it down, unforgiving
a faint scent of the sun-baked earth
with only the sound of a lonely sigh
now, frayed and worn
dipped in shadows, it lies

I stand, a silent...