Racing To Flee Death

Racing To Flee Death
© Surazeus
2023 11 04

Though bards cannot bend Nature to their will, 
nor any longer prophesy events 
that ripple from cause of the curse-bound stone 
hurled by taut sling-shot of effective verse, 
we stand on street corners of hope and sing 
heart-aching elegies for nameless ghosts. 

Though I now stand on high Cliff of Despair 
I will not leap from heady mountain height 
to plunge in roaring tide of endless night, 
for urgent passion to translate star song 
in cluttered puzzle of dream-riddled spells 
inspires my heart to rise from flames of war. 

Bound to the past by spells of long-dead bards, 
I carve from skull of the jester new mask 
presenting pure persona I perform 
to join great fellowship of the Dream Ring 
since fame is bought from fate by sacrifice 
which erases my name from history. 

I cannot sublimate with wordless death 
compassionate drive to transcend my idol 
as spectator at my own funeral 
where no one laments silencing of song 
that rings in harmony with engine buzz 
of cars and airplanes racing to flee death. 

The wild-eyed prophet lost in the waste land 
leads countless bards from grand amusement park 
of mortal fear to find the Promised Land 
of immortal fame as the Greatest Bard, 
but leads them lost in dead-end labyrinth 
where they scratch at sterile soil with numb hands. 

Instead of noble warriors or love-wise kings 
who organize nations of working craftsmen 
with vision of productive management, 
blind bards of sterile ideologies 
sing about mute ghost they see in the pool 
to celebrate their fake identity. 

No bard will ever gain more than they lose 
when they gamble with Death for endless fame 
for they will shine their brightest in dark gloom 
with rage against reality of death 
that erases all our songs from world dream, 
so we must sing with joy until we die. 

Dropping lyre of Mercury in snow, 
I hold sweet Hyacinth Girl in my arms 
as we ride sled down mountain slope of love 
with wicked freedom of two love-bound fools 
who join our hearts on signless road of trust 
to generate new life until we die.