Witness to a Death

 a poem by Joshua Brown


Blurry eyes through darkness pierce

Lights casting stigmatic rays awry

Shapes of moving figures people writhe

Standing still, focus on one, I try.


Breathing shallow, softer footsteps take

Two explosive movements from behind the wall

Darting into eachother, they vanish away

Among the walking, live, the hubbub lull.


Alone inside the closing walls I cry

No voice from me, into my soul I flee

The shadows flee away in brightest light,

Colors, shapes, identity, wild detail now I see


A child, golden haired and still smiling lay

Bloodied at the hip, legs twisted all around

Fingers clutched a Bible, pages ripped and torn

Eyes closed in peace, a flower on the ground.


I ran to hold her softly but as I ran it rained

Boiling black insipid rain from heaven beat.

It could not be. I felt the life inside me die

Skin peeled off as then I crawled and creeped.

 

Her head began to shiver, convulsing from deluge

The light that gave me hope to save, now killed.

My eyes streamed down with heavy tears afire

The touch of my hand on her skin fulfilled.

 

She was not dead, but I was gone away

To deepest hell my reputation found itself

Far from throne of God and childhood pure

Golden hair and shadowed kingdom wealth.


#poem #poetry #freeverse #spiritual

Comments