Twilight

I. Twilight, The evening spreads itself across the sky Like a canvas, Splashed with hues of frantic yellow, somber blue, And hectic red, Captured in a shapeless frame And hung upon the wall for all to see. The throngs, which fill the gallery Observe in silence As the colors fade and slowly are forgotten, Like the nursery rhymes you favored as a child. II. Twilight: The moment when a thousand words are spent Without reward. The tools that carved the fate of nations And changed the face of countless maps Have lost their strength. The swords that caused the heavens to collapse Have lost their edge. They struggle for a semblance of significance, Like a dying man struggling for breath, But none is found. Disturbing silence is expected And preferred. III. Daybreak! An agitated clock demands attention. You wake from slumber, Peeling away the sheets that held you in, And place your feet upon the floor. These feet will carry you Throughout your expedition; Through half worn paths and crowded streets, Through triumphs and defeats As fragile and as momentary As a woman's affection. These feet will carry you, When your day's dilemmas are resolved, Past a change in your complexion And towards a certain certainty. Back towards the tomb from which you rose With eyes half closed But flushed with curiosity; Beneath the layers of dusty sheets That bound you in a state of sleep. As nightfall moves throughout the city Your thoughts are laid to rest, Sealing your spirit in slumber. Another person takes a number, And another day begins. Copyright © 1994-2018 by Benjamin Toney. All rights reserved. Previously published in Central High School's annual The Tempest, 1995-96, under pseudonym.