A Sonnet for D’Angelo.

Your voice, a velvet river, slow and wide,

Through secret halls of hearts we did not know,

Each note a brush where tender shadows bide,

A pulse that made the quiet burn and grow.

Your music was a lover in the dark,

A sigh that lingered, curling in the air,

Soft fire that left its signature, a mark,

A gentle madness only you could wear.

Though years may steal the shape of flesh and bone,

Your songs remain, a warmth that will not fade,

A sanctuary built of sound alone,

A fleeting kiss in every chord you laid.

Rest now, sweet soul, your melody persists,

In every heart your sacred rhythm twists.