Clouded City
A City lies,
Up in the Skies,
Available when you open your heart,
Unable to touch,
To reality you clutch,
For from the waking world you will soon part.
The sun beats down,
Soaks into the ground,
As you go tumbling higher,
Clouds whip by,
And upward you fly,
Not a soul below could be any shyer.
At gates you now stand,
Ones far to grand,
As you pause, the wind rattles the lock,
Not a soul is about,
Yet you do not shout,
For fear the inhabitants would give you a shock.
With a squeak and a roar,
Now opens the door,
Inviting you to step inside,
Yet hesitate you do,
Feet stuck to the ground as if glued,
Though you feel no fear or urge to hide.
A crystal clear voice,
Leaves you with no choice,
But to pick your legs up and move forward,
Now died down has the wind,
The clouds, they have thinned,
And soared skyward and higher your hopes have.
A path leads to some stairs,
Making you for-get your cares,
Only worrying about where they might lead,
Feeling that you are close,
To where people boast,
They have been, but could never heed.
A woman stands there,
One whose skin is so fair,
Fingers crook, bidding you follow them,
A few steps are taken,
You know you aren't mistaken,
For your heart and your soul won't condemn.
No morals lie here,
No love and no fear,
Simply a place to be and let be,
Perplexed as you are,
Steps don't take you far,
Lingering behind for you cannot see.
Chaos is formed,
Peace isn't adorned,
Upon these people of the Wind and the Skies,
Silence evades,
And screaming cascades,
Pain they now feel, it is easily surmised.
Back to the gates you stride,
For rules one hastens to abide,
The City seems one you'd rather not live,
The sun has long set,
Yet you do not fret,
Living safe under the plan you contrive.
To exit through the gate,
Hoping the cruel deeds often plays Fate,
Will leave you alone 'til you're gone,
Though somehow you know,
That you can't barely go,
Away - before the City's history is drawn.
Voices call out to you,
But you can never undo,
What false plans you've began and go back,
Their cries fill your thoughts,
The ones you've always fought,
You realise confidence is something you lack.
Still the wind whistles by,
A hapless lullaby,
One mourning and telling of strife,
And so the notes change,
Now sounding deranged,
A harp's delicate sound merging fife.
The gates you pass through,
And mist you now view,
Your heart leaps further into your throat,
No stairways extend,
Terror does impend,
A sharp chord strikes into the notes.
You're stuck in the sky,
And features do wry,
Faith fading away on the wind,
You fall to the ground,
Wisps flitting around,
Cries echo - you know you have sinned.
© Emily Kirsch, 2ooo