Escort

I saw fire in its eyes tonight,
a pyre where otherwise void,
and a question in its mind,
but no breath inside its lungs,
where it might call out, instead
it remained perched and stood staring
piercing straight through my regret,
and I knew why it came different tonight
as opposed to every night before,
but just like all of those nights
I was ready, and I knew what was coming,
my friend, my consort, my escort
from here to the very end,
ebony, and as clever as constant,
so sly, so smooth, and as quick as death.