A time from someone else's past,
Void of any color,
Lays, a memory untouched
For I've become another.
No blackness neither gloomy grey
Can adequately spell
The unremitting vacuum then
My solitary cell;
Deadened valley, cold and raw
A spacious, endless gap
And stunted, hindered, thwarted me--
Prey to my own trap.
Then, my almost sightless eyes
Strained at lofty summit.
A puny crown of yellow perched
And warmth diffusing from it.
How far was I from yonder height?
I never estimated.
But, at length, my interest piqued,
My soul insatiated.
Uplifted by the hope of day
I shifted back and forth
Anticipating someone, soon,
Who'd love to take me north.
And thus I sat, and smiled, and sat
In fervent, eager glee
Until it was apparent that
None were retrieving me.
Upset, I glared at tiny gleam
Unsatisfied; unable
To know the origin or cause
Of light so sure and stable.
Whilst I remained and fidgeted
My longing festered large.
I, therefore, left with no excuse
Commenced my upward charge.
Naive? Perhaps, but undeterred
And fixed to stretch my strength.
My faithful feet prepared to hurt,
My back willing to break.
I've been through rain and mud and tears,
I've never been to hell, though.
For once I've passed through shadow grim
I find my trail of yellow.
And when I'm beaten and exclaim,
"This is not worth the climb!"
The hunger pains soon take their toll,
Unsettled one more time.
The going's slow, and sometimes stopped
For I am only human,
But when yellow glimmers tempt me on
I feel like I'm a new one.
Now, I have learned through my travail
That, in regards to spirit,
The sun won't rise at selfish plea.
Me rising brings me near it.
And though I've not yet reached the top
Or met the blazing source,
My curiosity is bought
By light throughout my course.
Joy is found in labored breath,
Yes, slumber doesn't pay right.
What once was colorless and dark
Is lit by yellow daylight.
© November 2011 - Sarah Christofferson
