Student Poetry: The Ring Above Their Heart by Alicia Wu

Image from Brief Encounter, 1945

The Ring Above Their Heart
A brush of fingertips, in the midst of a crowded station. 
The touch lingers on through the chatter 
amplified by overexcited tourists.
A tribute to what they shared,
rings hang on silver chains worn around their necks;
a silent promise to be reunited when the day ends.
As they step into the milling crowd,
a moment is all they are allowed.
But when two distant stars,
alone in the vastness of space meet,
nothing can part them.
For they cling together with desperation,
one of a long-suppressed 
hope by disappointment.
Not even gravity itself could bear to separate them.

By Alicia Wu