A Pause Between

Delightfully confused
by sudden freedom from pain,
he is giddy--
flittering from room to room and out
into the open expanse of the world
like a firefly beaming
on a warm summer evening.

Seeing these streets--
his streets
falling away as he drifts higher,
he hovers
taking in the beauty of a skyline
he never took time to notice.

Unencumbered now by time or expense,
he sets sail on the wind
to walk upon the Tor in Glastonbury,
to perch upon a spire in St. Petersburg,
to sit upon the stairs of Machu Picchu,
to see all the splendor
he never saw in life.

And as the dawn
sets the upper atmosphere aglow,
a greater light pierces him
with a bitter sweetness.
His soul laments all he has lost,
and with a moment's hesitation,
he lingers
before dissolving
into nothingness.


Inspired by: G. Holst - The planets Op. 32 - Mercury, the Winged Messenger - Berliner Philharm. - Karajan (3/7)