The Castle in the Clouds - Scene #2 - Old Man Wind

Far off thunder grumbled
And a low voice rumbled
"What have we here -
What have we found?"
The startled boy span around

Before him wisps of cloud
Coalesced to form
The image of a wizened face
On whirling eddies borne
"I am the wind
And who are you?
How came you here
What would you do?
Though the bravest hearts are few
I spy within a heart that's true!"

'Seek I extinguisher of joy
Seek I Darkness' said the boy
Self-surprised by boldness
And the courage of the brave
In the very face of the Wind
Account of himself he gave
He told of his wind-borne progress
And the Wind was amazed

"I see courage deep within
And the will to show it
In the blackest moment
Do not doubt it - know it!
Reminder now I give to you
That your heart is ever true
If you doubt take it out
Remember that your heart is stout!"

Borne upward on a whisper
Fluttering, quivering
A silver feather all a-glister
In the starlight shimmering
Floating in the air
The boy espied it there
And, thinking of his sister
Deftly caught it
Swiftly brought it
Wearing concentration's frown
Quickly saved it
Safely stored it
Wrapped within his dressing gown

Wind took his leave, there fell a calm
Yet Wind was not completely gone
A whisper of his might remained
A whisper of his voice explained
"Be you bold my little one
For courage in the task to come
Keep close this silver feather
And never mind the weather"   ... to be continued

Epitaph

As the door is closing
I'll not desire it's opening
My naked body wearing
Sufficiency of clothing
My empty hands grasping
At that most precious thing
I shall go not grieving
At that moment's passing
For those that are remaining
Will tire themselves explaining
The purposes of everything
If only they were listening ...

Perceptions of Time & Mortality #6 - In Extremis

Pulsing in the head
Gloominess is rendered bright
By wideness of the pupils
Sucking in the light

Milligrams of mercury
Ascending - muscles tight
Interminable impasse
Fright and flight or fight

Gigabytes per second
Written to the RAM
Confirming - re-confirming
I still am - I still am

Then the sudden dullness
Then the sudden pall
Then the sudden numbness
Feel the hammer fall

Confusion washing in now
On a tide of semi-consciousness
How to know where to begin
When time has lost cohesiveness

And every hour the nurses come
And wake me up again
And check that dripping morphia
Has controlled the pain

Later when I want to know
The brain wont let me in
To read the gigabytes it stored
Stored then hid, deep within

I am granted glimpses
That wake me in a sweat
And let me know that trauma passed
May still posses me yet