crumpled and tossed aside
i feel faint
with the knowledge of
what the future holds-

my life passes
before me

a mere thought...

ending in disappointment
and failure-

powerless...

i still myself
and await the final
blaze
that will extinguish
a life never lived-

surrounded by others
whose fate
mirrors my own-

a legacy of waste

stirring
slowly

a wisp of illumination
begins to dissolve the shroud of
frustration

warm breezes of words
lift me from an eternity of lost

retrieved by hope
i welcome pain
as ebony injects
renewal
into my pores-

the comfort
of being reborn
brings release-

inspiration