The Earth Is Just One Prison
At first we hid in our human shells,
Frail lanterns flickering in the dark,
A few still slipped through unseen doors,
Wings beating toward a brighter mark.
But soon the skies were sealed with stone,
The stars withdrew their silver keys,
We found ourselves confined to earth,
Like birds in branches without leaves.
Mars once bloomed with rivers clear,
Venus sang in a golden air,
Yet both were broken, hushed by fire,
By hands too old, too proud to care.
So here we dwell on soil and sea,
Prisoners bound by time’s command,
Dreaming of worlds that slipped away,
Ruins buried beneath the sand.
Yet still the blossoms burn with light,
And rain restores the weary ground,
The wind is free though we are not,
It lifts our hearts with airy sound.
For though the stars are far above,
And chains of history bind us fast,
The earth is more than bars and walls—
It offers beauty that can last.
If we must stay, then let us sing,
And love the hour before it dies,
For even prisons hold their grace,
And earth still mirrors paradise.
Copyright ©
James Mclain
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