Realms Reconnoitred

By Saisha Jain

Change,

You saw it coming—

And unsaw it.

Terrified; in a raged fit,

Turned away till

I became it.

On Earth it remains the same:

You hear, and I hear

And weep we can and shall,

Yet no star shines

To quieten the souls in this land.

And they cry and wail,

Sorrow filled bones.

Your eyes see no longer

And your tears mingle—

With the blood

On your hands, hearts, and souls.

None go down below—

Down, down; unless they belong.

None drown for worse awaits

And at doubtful turn with some mistakes,

one can travel to pearly gates.

As the world trembles,

Changes fire red to calm frozen blues.

Memory of fright stops me midflight

And so and so and forth you go;

Where trees belong, and the wind would blow

And bright light is all you know.

And in those sunless valleys hide—

Quiet they move,

In tandem with the shivering air.

So they are, eternal judges,

Watching and condemning;

Falling from sudden edges.

And they lived and died

The same,

Breathed one air.

They fought and loved and fought—

And even in death

They lived.

So, we weep and smile and love,

As is our natural state.

And to hear such truths,

We fall as a corpse may.

By Saisha Jain