Encased

Deepening twilight encircles my still warm, beating heart
Encased within glistening, cold, dew-kissed marble –
I stand amidst the deserted garden,
A statue with bowed head.
Crows sail about the perimeter
Taunting me with dastardly cries of abuse;
Vultures circle in an ever-closing circle
Assaulting me with waste.
My only friends appear to be the sun, the rain, the snow,
And the change of seasons,
False friends who erode my glossy surface over time
Leaving me chipped and decayed.
I stand solitary, but for a few straggly violets
Who manage to survive the destruction and neglect --
They smile benignly without touching me.
Betrayed and alone,
The flow of blood near the surface recedes,
And my warmth slowly ebbs
While a single tear is frozen on my face –
Surrounded by apathy,
I see no caring, no closeness, no friendship, no soul mate --
I weep inside.