Out of Darkness

The faded wooden doors of the church Loomed over me like the gates of hell. A portal of anger and sadness, That could consume my very body and soul, Like a rabid dog looking for sanity Forcing me into a typhoon of misery And freezing me for a moment in time, To remember a reality That’s no longer real. My soul, no longer a part of me, Watching from above; I watched my feet carry me, With stuttering steps Like a dying child; Flowers of all kinds, Roses, carnations, and ferns, Poked their heads from every corner Like peeping children Hiding from their angry mothers. Their smell no longer sweet But reeked of death and heartache. I no longer wanted to breathe Panic ripped through my heart Like a jagged knife Tearing every ounce of sanity from my soul. I gaped in fear as I saw her face, A face that had once Radiated with sunshine and laughter Like a rainbow after a storm. Was now filled with death and silence To never again hold the key of life But locked for eternity In tragedy and despair, Taking with her my life And burning the bridge behind her. I reached out for her hand Then drew back in terror, As her icy flesh burnt my skin; A hand once warm and full of love That comforted me, Now lay motionless for eternity. Sounds of grief and heartbreak Burnt my ears like fire, Causing me to glance in every direction; People, many I knew, Looked as if they too were in hell Being gnawed at By grief and pain. My knees swayed, Like a bridge in a terrible storm, And buckled beneath me, Throwing me violently to the floor; As I lay cold and beaten, I no longer cared to live, My life was gone; I looked up, hoping God would take me, But saw only darkness instead. Gradually, in the midst of that darkness, Was a tiny light. A light so bright and pure I had to shield my eyes; It called to me to get up And like a broken child I crawled to my feet; I stood facing her Her shiny skin gleamed in the light Like a shooting star As her beauty Transcended her body. At that moment she spoke to me Begging me to go on; I turned from her, Facing the once hellish gates, And staggered into a heavenly place She promised to wait for me. I reached for the handles of the heavy door And walked out into the light, A place where she and I Were to live together For all eternity.