A Letter to "Dolly"

Dear Dolly,

I stared in grief at the photo. You lay there, as beautiful as ever, the sun shining off your satin-like body. Your eyes cried not of desperation, but of utter despair.

You're not the first to have done this. And you'll quite likely not be the last. What disturbs me, however, is why. This is a question I've ruminated over for weeks -- why?

You're intelligent beyond measure, beautiful, loved by so many. You have a power that captivates people. You're gentle, empathetic, a healer of immense proportions.

Staring into your eyes, I saw a sadness more abysmal than the depths of the vast world you call home. Your gaze bore into my depths, tearing at my insides. I wanted to reach out to you, to lift you from that gritty deathbed you'd made for yourself. I wanted to ask you, "Why?"

This burden, whatever it is, must be great. Was it a cry of warning? An act of defiance at mankind's cruelty? A message from the gods? Or was it that pain that only love can cause -- having lost your soulmate?

I go back to that photo, to the beauty, and the intense suffering that your heart cried out. That stricken gaze now lives within me, haunting me.

Mankind needs you. Let me ease your burden.