Wake

A million words trapped inside my mind
A thousand voices trying to be heard
In my sleep an answer I will find
visions turned into words
One dream now told
sleep, sleep, child
as my tale unfolds

I follow the stream,
winding
turning
Shadowed, the willows dip
sighing
weeping

The silence--deafening
Here I stand--alone

The music is gone
The sky has paled
The barren land
has come to waste
The birds have fled their nests
and left behind this empty space

The tide is drawing near
Can you taste it in the air?
Can you taste the fear?
The salty bitterness of the spray
wet with angry tears
Tears of history, tears of pain
tears for what will never come

A shadow follows
whispers
run, run
Sharp, a breeze
icy
cold
I tred on ashes
grim
forlorn

Listen. Can you hear it?
Can you hear the crying?
Look. Can you see it?
Can you see the dying?
Feel. Can you feel it?
No, child, you cannot.

Wake up.
Wake up.
I beg you to withdraw.
Your precious life is at stake.

Remove yourself from my dream.
You have heard, and you have seen
inside my mind, a glimpse
No more today. No more tomorrow.
Mistake.
Mistake.
Hush now, child.
You are now
awake.

(04 June 2002 )