Lantern Of Lost Hope

Lantern Of Lost Hope
© Surazeus
2025 02 07

First key word that opens locked door of thought 
flashes with starlight in shallow Face Pool 
to lure with eerie melody of hope 
blind souls who wander roadless woods of fate 
with lantern of lost hope in trembling hands 
till they vanish in voice of nothingness. 

Carla laughs while she knocks at the locked door 
because no one answers her frantic call, 
so she places her Death Book on the floor, 
then leans gasping for breath against the wall 
with lantern of lost hope in broken heart 
to draw map of her dreams on wyrd star chart. 

Jesse sits on tree stump in rain-wet field 
after chopping Tree of Knowledge with ax 
polished sharp on dragon bones of despair 
to ask the quick sharp-tailed sandpiper why 
with lantern of lost hope in both his eyes 
he cannot see the angel of star fire. 

Carla mumbles that twigs and brambles tear 
hem of her dress as she tromps in dark woods 
to find cave of the television bear 
named Grendel who haunts quiet neighborhoods 
with lantern of lost hope that shimmers gold 
of undulating rays through time-space fold. 

Jesse teaches his clever son David 
how to sling stones with a taut leather strap 
when they go hunting in Broceliande 
where Grendel steals computers from the store 
with lantern of lost hope after midnight 
who mocks young shepherd security guard. 

Carla stops in the quaint white-steepled church 
where old Goliath is mopping the floor 
to ask questions about the Holy Ghost, 
so they sing the twenty-third psalm, and pray 
with lantern of lost hope under the cross, 
then share feelings about maternal loss. 

Jesse finds sandal Eurydice wore 
while dancing to her wedding in Stonehenge, 
and weeps that she will sing and dance no more, 
then sets on her shrine the last sacred orange 
with lantern of lost hope lighting her tomb 
to write obscure prophecy of world doom. 

Carla rides the bus to Elysium 
two seats behind Grendel and Artemis 
who talk about the novel Moby Dick, 
how the White Whale represents hostile Nature 
with lantern of lost hope in his stomach 
where Jonah asks Kwan Yin to marry him.