Isle of the Dead

This is based off a well known painting by Arnold Böcklin called, "Isle of the Dead."

Throw your coins to the man that waits
Though he may be a ghostly crude sight
This man is made of genuine desire like you, and like I.

Just beyond the mist it waits
For those who failed at heaven’s gates
Thick brush and crumbled marble
A semi decent place for those to spend awake.

The boat was simple, small, and stout
It held up to the waves about
And though it’s answered to the test of time
It carries those that life has left behind.

The robed man in front watches over the sleeping
Gently, with grace, and shedding tears for those not weeping
The man in back with a steady hand
Leads us onward to the final land.

“I can see the trees!”
“Yes, we’re close.”
“Perhaps we’ll see a spirit?”
“Not likely, this land is for those whose loved ones loved them most.”

Author's Note

Enjoy.

Reviews

[BLR]

Beyond intriguing, this is so vivid!
A tear nearly crept from my eye as I reached the stanza, "I can see the trees!".
Oh, how wonderful. Keep writing, and send me more read requests.

[Helpless]

very intriguing!