The Wall

Written October 24, 1999

The wall
Before me, blocking the way,
Which so shortly before lay open,
Uncluttered, no boulders hindering passage.
No tools will aid in ascent over these battlements,
Reaching up beyond the tips of the stars.
No gear will service to burrow beneath this obstacle,
Descending far beneath the center of the earth.
Upon close inspection,
The door
Discovered, half hidden by overgrowth and ivy,
Thicker than the jungle's dense vegetation.
Gently pushed aside, and lovingly draped,
The keyhole
Revealed, hungry for a key to permeate its desolate core.
No unworthy skeleton key will fit this lock.
No locksmith can coax it to unveil the secrets within.
Only one will harmonize.
A pleasant click resounds as it turns smoothly,
Grasped tightly by the surrounding closure,
It is held fast by longing.
The latch
Rusty from years of ill-use and neglect,
Protests noisily as it is tenderly turned.
The way
Now lying open before me,
Vulnerable, susceptible, at my mercy.
Unjustifiably wary, fainthearted at the thought
Of being traveled by another.
I will wipe away all signs of previous wanderers,
Whiten every black stain carelessly left behind,
Scatter poppy seeds alongside the path.
Their pleasant scent will cause sweet amnesia
For the one who will be lured out from hiding
By my silvery song,
To stroll by my side along this newly restored road.

Back to 1999 Poetry

Back to Poetry
Back to Home

E-mail me at:SmileyCarli@yahoo.com