Swan Of Human Hope

Swan Of Human Hope
© Surazeus
2026 08 01

Spirit slender as the violin bow, 
Artella leaps beyond bounds of despair 
to laugh with pleasure in the face of death 
whose shadow looms over crowded Earth, 
then lands with graceful clumsiness of faith 
as the awestruck audience holds their breath. 

Staring at her face in mirror of time, 
Artella wipes cosmetics off her skin 
with frantic calm of humble bitterness, 
then grins to see the passion-wrinkled face 
of her grandmother, still alive in her, 
then washes it away with apathy. 

Sipping wine with compassionate disdain, 
Artella glances around dark cafe, 
crowded with people laughing with delight, 
whose faces waver in swirls of green smoke, 
then savors feeling of intense respect 
for every wretched human in earth-grasp. 

Heart flapping hawk wings of mute pulchritude, 
Artella writhes with gossamer ennui 
as Star-Eyed Demon plays wild saxophone, 
till she transforms into soft languid cat 
who floats on liquid swirls of frantic notes 
that spiral ribbons in her silver eyes. 

Mind stretched more rubber-taut than thunder clouds, 
Artella wanders onyx streets of fate 
that glitter shards of unperfected skill 
from cafe pulsing with electric souls 
to dark apartment buzzing with contempt, 
then lies still clothed on floating couch of love. 

Observing play of lamp beams on the wall, 
Artella ponders meaning of this life, 
preserved in holy creed of spirit flight, 
as mission to transcend bounds of this world 
with hopeless wings from earth-grasp of desire 
so she becomes mute angel of the moon. 

Startled awake from dream of timeless flight, 
Artella eats fried egg on toast with juice, 
rides bus to theater of wingless angels, 
and practices ballet from dawn to dusk, 
preparing to play Swan of Tuonela 
who seeks to fly free from earth-grasp of greed. 

Spirit slender as the violin bow, 
Artella leaps on passion of her heart 
at most dramatic moment of the show 
to represent the swan of human hope, 
but falters as she reaches for the moon 
and tumbles forward so she breaks her neck.