He hasn’t thought about it for many years now
It’s been so long since he’s been near the area
As the man grew older he focused on himself
Going on to get the degrees in such a short time
Landing a good career that led to higher places
He dropped the glasses that wasn’t necessary
And even lost the weight that always haunted him
Life was genuinely going very well for the man
Yet decades later he still felt something missing
Where he lived felt like winter every single day
Always seeking out the sun for some warmth
Looking in his own mirror after a hot shower
Touching the mark on his chest left long ago
It still had an icy touch to it even to this day
Despite having it all in his life he thought
And feeling the adulation of everyone around
Something was still not sitting right with him
He still wasn’t completely happy nor himself
One Autumn morning he awakens next to her
He’s been with this woman for almost two years
And she’s been able to bring a smile to his face
Enjoying the warm touch of her hand on his cheek
She slowly brought him out of his shell of devotion
One that was formed back when he was a child
It was a shell that was dedicated not to keep in
But was built as a means to keep away from him
Persistent as she was though she finally broke it
Yet that determination almost costed her dearly
For in that cold Autumn she fell into a sickness
One that she had a good chance of overcoming
But the journey to get there would be painful
It was very hard for the man to see her like this
He was there by her bedside as much as he could
Providing the support that she so gave to him
However he struggled to warm this cold air
Barely cracking a smile as he tried to say 3 words
He wanted to give her his all but he couldn’t
She gazed upon the man that she deeply loved
Smiled and simply told him to not be afraid
And then she closed her eyes falling into slumber
It was at that moment he knew what was missing
He realized why everything around him was cold
Why his life has been so good but not as intimate
It had to do with the mark and what was taken
This involved a wolf he once met as a young boy
After escaping the woods that rainy day he left
He ran away from that town and never returned
Throwing away his past as best as he could
But nothing stays buried forever in this world
Changing everything about him did indeed work
It just came at a cost that he did not know about
However the wolf did know what would happen
The man hasn’t been the same since that event
Searching far for that warm light he once had
And now with the woman he cared deeply for
There was someone who could reignite that fire
He wanted to be wholly open with her always
But first he had to make himself whole first
Especially in this moment of need she is in
He knew he had to be there for her at this time
Yet he knew what would help her through this
So the man ventured back to where it all began
The town he once left was even bigger than before
However it felt more desolate and frigid here
The man hated how accustomed he felt to all of this
He wasn’t sure if it was because of him or the wolf
Crossing through old neighborhoods brought it up
Of friends and family and their struggles they had
The shouting, the jealousy, the fights and more
He swore that he would never fall into that trap
It made him uninspired to even consider pursuing
That which he has now found himself in with her
For a while he was happy meeting this wolf
Grateful for showing him how to be resistant
But it actually made him more vulnerable than ever
The man finally approached the very woods long ago
It appeared darker and colder with snow gently falling
And into them he went in search of the beast’s den
Time was nonexistent here in the woods as he walked
He couldn’t remember which way he was going
Running from other wild animals that chased him
Cutting his skin through unforgiving tree branches
Trying not to drown in the freezing river waters
It seems the wolf made sure the journey was hard
The man was beaten, bruised, and weak from it all
With no sense of time he knew he had to hurry home
For she needed him as much as he needed her there
He just wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it back
The snow came down harder as he fell to his knees
He just needed some source of strength to keep him going
And so he pulled out a photo of her smiling to enjoy
When suddenly the wolf appeared to him up on a hill
The wolf growled as it began making it’s way down
It knew exactly what the man came here to retrieve
He could see his prize pulsating behind the wolf up there
It doesn’t belong here as it’s meant to be given to her
And there was only one way he was going to get it back
He put away her photo knowing it might be the last time
He may not return home to see her beautiful face
All these decades later the wolf had no desire for words
It wasn’t welcoming or helpful towards the man like before
Resembling a beast that he should’ve avoided as a youth
As the man readied himself for what he must do
The wolf reached the ground and again growled
It truly thought it was responsible for the man’s success
But at this moment he realized it wasn’t due to the wolf
It was all of his efforts and his own willpower to thrive
He became resilient and strong towards those kids
He grew up and learned to know good from bad
Though the wolf took something from him dear
The man discovered that the fire never died out
That is how he got to this point here and now
He may not be whole but the flame still flickers
He thought of his parents who were there as a kid
The man thought of the woman who was there now
The one he hopes to see smile again after this struggle
He was no longer afraid of it nor the wolf ahead
He’s survived so much of life with only a mark there
Enduring these woods and soon to be this fierce beast
To get one thing that he won’t keep for long with him
The coldness within began to heat up with devotion
Rising up telling himself that he will indeed see her soon
Even though he doesn’t know how this is all going to end
The snow fell in the woods as they charged at each other
For this man wasn’t just fighting for himself but for her
Because she was the One whom he wanted to have his heart. . .
Novatourist 