*"Ashes and Light"* Once I held dreams like stars in my hand, Bright with promise, bold and grand. But time, like wind, swept some away, And left the sky a little gray. Paths I carved with heart and flame, Now whispers lost, with none to name. What once was clear is now unknown, And some sweet seeds were never sown. Yet in the quiet of the night, A softer voice begins to light. It sings not of what’s gone and past, But of small hopes that still hold fast. A single flower in broken stone, A breath that rises when I'm alone. Dreams may fall, but not in vain— They plant new roots beneath the pain. And though I walk through shadows deep, I guard the sparks I choose to keep. For even when the stars grow cold, The soul can kindle dreams untold. – by Haneen