The Dead Man

The Dead Man Through life, fleet footed and savagely silent with little mercy, most often he was violent In unguarded moments compassion won out bursting forth, like water from a spout Those former years are now lost in faded dreams so like late afternoon's fading final beams Mere wisps of shine, vanquished before dark of night oft sad, unlike deep glory of dawn's first light. Youth found he, riding alone on a blind horse with no worries, letting Fate chose the course In that folly, he still found nuggets of gold or were they false memories of he now too old Still in his long life, he had family that truly cared broken hearts he had once or twice repaired Yet Time judged harshly and rushed him to his sad end left behind, his great wealth he could never spend. So few, so very few were saddened by his demise recalling how he was selfish and not very wise For in his vanity he thought to forever live on and one day like a puff of smoke he was gone A few noted his greed had his happiness cost for without compassion and love, joy is forever lost Now these sad words written on his tombstone if, if only others mercy he had just shown. Through life, fleet footed and savagely silent with little mercy, most often he was violent In unguarded moments compassion won out bursting forth, like water from a spout Those yester-years are now lost in faded dreams so like late afternoon's fading final beams Mere wisps of shine, vanquished before dark of night oft sad, unlike deep glory of dawn's first light. Robert J. Lindley, 8-14-2017 (Waking in a dark cavern, vanishing flashes of light from above. Low echoes, pushing -down, down and down. Cries unheard as darkness engulfs a pitiful and lost soul )