A star, I saw
It wandered wide.
I followed it
With startled eyes.
It twinkled then
It lost its grip
And from the sky
Began to slip.
I watched it as
It made its drop
From far above
To land atop
The tallest tree,
Its branches there.
It tore the leaves,
Left branches bare.
A sound, a crash
Came at my ears.
The kind that from
A war appears.
A blast, a cry,
A battlefield.
True nature of
Mankind revealed.
But this, a star
Was not a threat,
I hoped upon
My life and set
Out to explore
Among the wood
What shard or stone
Or mountain could
Disturb a night
On which the eye
Could pluck a star
Out of the sky.
I soon approached
The copse of trees.
They bowed their heads,
Knelt in the breeze.
I pressed between
Their prickled skin
To spy upon
What lay within.
What horror did
My eyes behold,
But my own form
All dead and cold!
The air was chill
My breath did steam
Was I awake?
Was this a dream?
I stood in shock
My mouth agape
Afraid of this
Familiar shape.
And as I stood,
To my surprise,
The corpse, it moved,
Opened its eyes.
It looked at me
With my own face!
I knew that I
Must flee this place
I turned to run
But took too long.
He looked at me,
Said "what is wrong?"
I turned to him
In misty shroud
And in my fear
I yelled aloud:
"A place my face
Does not belong,
And you dare ask
Me what is wrong?"
The corpse, he smiled
A wicked thing,
A smile to make
The crows take wing.
"But I am here
To comfort you,
For I know what
At night you do.
You sit alone,
Neglect your love
To watch for signs
From far above.
But nothing comes
And you despair
While lonely love
Cannot repair
Her broken heart
With stitches sewn.
For every night,
She sits alone.
"And you, my twin,
My living self,
You leave your life
Upon the shelf.
You wait for things
That will not come
And all the while
Grow cold and numb.
Yet I am caught
In endless night
I know not of
The warmth of light.
I gazed upon
Your hopeful form
As I too longed
To be reborn.
So down I came
And brought with me
An invite to
Eternity.
I offer you
An even trade
To live in night
And never fade.
And in exchange
I take with me
Your life and your
Mortality."
With these last words
He raised his head
And howled a song
To wake the dead
A sound to reach
The ice of hell
To spread my fear
To every cell.
I found my feet
And in my fright,
Ran with my life
Into the night.
Back to my love,
I found my way
And by her side
I swore to stay.
And though I longed
Before that day
To leave this earth
And fly away,
I work to calm
My roving eye.
I will not look
Into the sky.
