The Gallow's Call

The pallid moon of death stands low.
A mockery does its pale light command;
for I await the barren rage of death’s eternal cold,
`neath black sky’s shadow and death awaits the dawn,
from whence come nevers lasting forever.

I hear the sound that silence cries
as the winds of misfortune have turned the pages of my life
and my mind wanders the path
of empty pages in the book of my life
and every beat of my heart echoes this emptiness in my soul;
while time moves on, flipping through the unwritten chapters,
till the book is read and the dawn comes too soon.

Dawn breaks into silent sorrow,
as silent voices fall on silenced ears,
and time moves on through timeless years,
as the dust of the past drifts on the wind in my wake
and fades as the passing of night
to the fear of this coming dawn.

Through tear filled eyes, the sunlight is blurred,
but, I need to face the light with the coming of this dawn,
and suffer this price for my country,
haunted by the shades of unforgiven pasts.

As the light that radiance warms the chill of my soul,
my heart bleeds defeat and I reach for the sunlight
that brings this new day, but my arms are empty
and I know there is nothing left.

What key unlocks this door to secrets shared by death?
For time was my prison and now death the only key?

Nigh comes the moment, yet this figure stands proud,
not humbled by the weight of it all.
I have savored the remnants of my day
and the sands of my hour glass are about to run dry
“For I know not what course others may take,
but for me give me liberty or give me death!”


Author - John Romstadt
(c)July 1999