A Burning Ember

A wisp of a smile
 ripples in the water.
A spark of memory
flows by the stream
remembering firefighter Bruce,
 my neighbor, my friend.
Just an old salt who left Yonkers
with to much baggage and
to many New Years resolutions.
Damn How many tales were spun
through your looking glass
sharing your dirty banana  drinks
with me.
Your blender was always pumping
for the few of us who dropped by.
Remember that band, the duet...
stayed with you for a while..
Mirror/ Mirror ,I think,
was their name.
Damn she could croon
Patsy Cline and you loved her for that
although, no one knew but me...
So many lives you saved and yet , your
own you let slip  through your retired fingers
smoking, drinking , wasting away in the bars
making others happy at your expense..
Maybe that was your legacy to extinguish
your last burning blaze...that tinder box  scorching
a moaning soul..
Watching burning  embers of lonely
 you doused the last if only.
Did you never knew how much you were loved?
for all you'd ever shown was an image.
The image of Firefighter Bruce....