The Poet's Eye

The Man and Them

He comes and goes from place to place. Befriending others here and there, leading them where they wouldn't dare.
Along the way he shares their burdens, and they share his.
He teaches them and they teach him.
How he wishes they could stay.
The curse he bears, he must bear alone. They die, find love, get bored, or just go home.
He'll love them 'til his end even if they now call him an "imaginary friend". They laughed, they cried, and sometimes nearly died. Through it all they bonded.
They each learn that some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.
He learns that life is a pile of good and bad things. The good things don't necessarily soften the blow from the bad things, but, vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant.
He loves them and they love him, their love for each other will never dim