The Madness of Dreams (a poem - 02.02.2011)

the Madness of Dreams

the water submerged
beneath the feathered walls
the colors of tropics
descend in brown waters

large grey stones
absorb the warmth of light
stoic faces gaze out
countenanced to ward off the night

the soft collapse
of an avalanche
no less destructive
than an ant hill flattened

our deepest dreams
are darkest desires

a sure path
confounded by shifting walls
debilitating success
followed swiftly by
uplifting defeat

the top spins, wobbling
perched upon unfallen die
the pawn wears a crown
tapestry becomes a robe

the underside of the underneath
reflects the morning sun
as soil corrupts the snow
where death meets death
masquerading as vibrant life

a haunting from the future
a revelation of the past
the waters surge inward now
as we stumble off the ledge

a razor's edge we walk upon
within the world of dreams
our darkest desires
are deepest dreams

the path is wide
the distance shallow
the tight rope sways
the net is gone

stagnation equal to saturation
a bit too far
as perilous as
not quite far enough

dive in fast
do not hesitate
but know the stones
beneath the swollen waves

a rooster crows
the moon shines full
from nearby hills
horns sound loud
'Death!' cried out
in full life pursued

one lingering note of green
rides out
until the music fades

the glory of youth
for ever praised
upon some old man's grave

the leaves begin to turn and fall
away into the sky
the North wind blows in from the West
and home at last return the crows
into their sheltered nest

(by Jesse Arnold)