GOODBYE TO THE BARREN PLAIN

GOODBYE TO THE BARREN PLAIN

Goodbye to the barren plain I once traversed alone,
The carrion vultures on my scent, the coarse and jagged stones.

A gentle comrade, tried and true, has hurled them into the burning sun
And all my nightmares and my cares corrode into oblivion.

Goodbye to the sullen earth I traipsed across in pain,
The land mines and the avalanches, the nights of pelting rain.

A fearless comrade, tried and true, has hurled them into the great divide,
And all my dreams and reckless schemes stand waiting on the other side.

Goodbye to the lonesome sea I sailed upon adrift,
The riptides and the coral reefs so merciless and swift.

A tireless comrade, tried and true, has hurled them into the crescent moon,
And all my storms and days forlorn sing peaceful with the loon.

Goodbye to the hollow canyon I perched above in fear,
Dreams of tumbling o’er the edge, the black hole of the biosphere.

A gallant comrade, tried and true, has seized me in his thick embrace,
And all my cares caught unawares slide forgotten into space.

Goodbye to the barren plain, the lonely years devoid of song,
And hello to the comrade dear, to whom I now belong.

-Bruce Potts
Copyright 2008
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED