The Sun and Stars Dimmed

A flicker, a flash, moments in time
Streams of sunlit memories
Locked in a vault that’s only mine
Cherished, treasured, sacred

Time, ebbing, flowing, misperception
A distance of mere inches
Was miles, my mind’s deception
Time passed too fast, dear friend

Can I call you friend?
We spoke so infrequently,
But yes, I called you that to the end.
There was no other word for you to me.

You gave me shelter when I was lost.
You calmed my spirit when it was wild.
You gave me kindness without cost.
You are, were, and always will be —friend.

A flicker, a flash, a moment, your name
Came to my head and would not leave.
A simple task, a search, a game.
The ether hid you from the screen.

A thought that never crossed my mind,
Yet I knew you were not one to change.
I found it odd that the years had been unkind.
I found you and saw words below your name.

No, no, my mind denied the words existed.
I read them once, twice, thrice.
The meaning in my head was twisted.
Surely it meant something simple or inane.

The word, an apostate to language,
A minion to its master and evil,
Remembrance-I now hate its usage.
A Satan-cancer struck a lion down.

King of the jungle, a regal seal,
You shone, majestic, strong and wise.
Not metaphorically, your brilliance was real.
Evil wickedness has no compassion.

Twas June, the month evil slew you
Two years have passed since then
It allowed you one victory, but not two
Cancer is a hated, vile, venomous foe

Your loss is deeply felt by all
Your closest loved ones and friends
Even I, a distant memory, felt your fall
The day evil slayed our hero

Today I spoke the words aloud, “You died”
A piece of my heart died with you then
Leaving a vacancy in it — I cried
I can’t imagine the pain your loved ones felt

The skies cried with me; the sun hid its face
Your loss is felt near and far, dear one
It’s shattered time and space
The night you left this world

The sun stopped shining
None will take your place

Keelan Bailey— I dedicate this to you and your loved ones. My heart breaks now, as theirs did then. You were and are the best of men — the best of us all. You will be missed, and the sun will shine less brightly, the stars more dimly, forever and again. You are loved, and always will be.

(Published by Dancing Elephants Press on Medium, 2026)

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