Tuesday, July 25, 2006

poem: waiting for an eternity

Waiting for an eternity

I smile, a tentative one
slightly apprehensive
You smile back,
warm and inviting
the gentle heat of a fire
on a cold night.

My spirits lift
and the dance begins
tiny steps at first,
across a glittering floor
mirroring our reflections that
move in sync,
grace, beauty.

Eyes closed,
tandem of feet
synchrony of movement,
rush of wind
beating heart that grows faster
as the rhythm picks up
Faster.
Faster.

The music stops.
We are at the edge of a precipice
you look forward
Darkness greets you
long and loud with its wide
gaping mouth.
Impenetrable darkness
one can fall into forever
and never stop falling.
Eternity of emptiness
Blackness.

You turn back to me
I am no longer beside you
You look further ahead
and see me at the other side
Only the chasm of darkness divides us now.

I call out to you
echoes that last only moments
swallowed by the encroaching
darkness.
You start to feel afraid
cold claws of fear grasp your heart
squeeze the warmth out like
drips of oil
The once-dancing feet remain frozen
rooted to the ground.

Do not be afraid, I call
Let us continue our dance
we have only just begun.
But you refuse to move
your lips breathe silence
your eyes mirrors of fear
your hands devoid of warmth.

I wait for the burst of courage to spring forth
bring life to your feet
blood to your limbs
love to your heart
to continue our dance,
be it across a fearsome unknown darkness.

I wait with hope,
willing you to dance across
so you can hold me in your arms
kiss me, love me
cherish gems which I will bestow upon you
rare jewels that have never seen the light of earth
Yours to hold, or break
till they become naught but splintered bits of colored glass.

The darkness begins to loom
larger and larger
till it shrouds you in its black cruel grasp
as you stand there, unmoving.
I slump to my knees
heart heavy
eyes wet.
You didn't dance across the darkness.

Written at 2:43 AM