THESE SCREAMING HANDS OF TIME, IN MOTION

 

I have watched the sky,

and seen things on the horizon

come close enough

that my fingertips vibrate

in the instant

before they make contact;

I have watched my youth,

and I have seen the progress

go the other way.

 

I have watched the weight of years

fall onto our shoulders,

and watched the careless comments

of younger minds

slip from our tongues,

perishing somewhere

in the back of our throats.

It was never enough

to wear the cloak of youth

 

to shroud our scars,

never enough

to know that we still have

 

our whole lives ahead,

stretching like a road into the distance

where it becomes a single point,

a single vision

of a mirage,

flickering in the distance–

promising relief,

 

eternally appearing to have depth

that our lives could never hold.

These years have rained

heavy on our hearts,

 

soaking through clothing,

skin, organs,

and penetrating into the depths

 

of the mirage we mask ourselves inside,

as we look up at the sky,

and recognize

the shapes of clouds

we saw on the horizon,

not that long ago.

Josh Stewart is a student at the University of Toronto, and, like a good university student, has no plans for the future. Josh enjoys to play bass, eat sushi, wear hats, and wander around without a purpose or destination.

Dance to Death, Issue VII

©2008 Sorrowland Press and all respective artists within.