Leaving behind the chaotic façade which most think of as the real world I continue down the silent road. Small things dart around inside the tall grass looking for the lost echo of birds. A world without bird’s songs is a creation without a voice. The silver sky weeps as muted wind howls in vain. The grasses and trees began to sway gently as if dancing in time with a forgotten memory. What was the tune? It’s on the tip of my useless tongue. I have to find the answer. As I search in despair for the solution I see movement out of corner of my eye. The dark shape floats above my head and I recognize the outline of a raven. The black feathers are almost iridescent and it’s unnaturally large. In its beak it carries a scroll. It would shriek if shrieking existed. The scroll lands at my feet. I unroll the parchment and the raven circles awaiting my reaction to the mystery I hold. Scratched on the inside of the parchment were ancient symbols that spoke of lost magic and words “The road ends in silence but begins in music. Let one who knows the secrets be the voice.” I nodded to raven and he dipped a wing in reply. I would undertake his quest to where the road begins.
… to be continued.
Category: poetry
The Road Ends In Silence
I dreamt about a world of steel and concrete.
A world where the pace was hectic and one dare not stumble for fear of the crowd.
As I walked along in time with the daily march into chaos there was a gate unguarded.
I took the chance and walked through the threshold as the outside world vanished behind me.
No more hustle and bustle.
Steel and Glass gave way to open sky. Leaving only the wind.
Pavement crumbles away into earth.
Echoes fade into oblivion as I walked at different pace.
This road ends in silence.
Echoes on a foggy morning
I stood in the mists and listened, and I heard the echoes.
The echoes spoke to me and here is what they those echoes said.
Once there was a house and the house was a home.
Once there was friendswho would gather.
Once there was laughing.
Once there was a song.
Once there was dancing.
Once there was the smell of dinner cooking over an open flame.
Once there were games played on the lawn.
Once there was a warm bed and quietly spoken conversation by candlelight.
Once there was a sadness and a warm embrace to lessen the scars on a wounded soul.
Once there was work to be done and rest to be enjoyed.
Once there was love and love grew into life. And life was good.
The echoes fade away but love lives on.
Poetry by Lloyd A Dempsey II
The Feature image for this post is the Old Mason-Drennan house. Sadly, it’s a historic site that is quickly succumbing to the effects of time.
As I look at site I think about all the different stories that would have played out at the old resort. In the early Twentieth Century this was a destination for people who would travel from far away. I wonder how many family lines got started at the dances and social gatherings that were held there? That question was the inspiration for my poem. As the old inn fades away do the memories live on like an echo in time?
As the weather in the Northern hemisphere warms up people in Appalachia generally gather around a camp fire and tell ghost stories. But such stories don’t always have to be scary. After all, it’s just a story… isn’t it?
Open Schedule And An Open Road.
The road ahead stretches on.
The sky is full of clouds that are smiling down.
The sun warm and friendly.
And the wind, … the wind whispers ever so softly. “Chosen”.
I grip and twist the accelerator and answer the call with a grin.
The deep growl of raw horsepower surges over my body as I catch up with the wind.
Two wheels, one headlight and an open road.
Some days, the adventure chooses you.
The Flow
I wonder what you’ve seen on your journey from the top of the mountain.
You seem to pass through the mountains from a source unknown.
You slip along the the rocky ground playfully giggling and jumping the whole way.
You turn over every stone in your path.
You carry sticks and use them to tap out a marching tune that expresses the joy in your heart.
Not being one to turn away from a dare you leapt the edge of the earth and dove into the cavernous depths below.
You explored every inch of the underworld and exploded from the other side of the unseen to join in the course below.
Where are you going? What will see before you get there?
LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 