Along the River's Breath

The boat oars and chains are clanging
He floats along the river's breath
A river so foul to drink of it
Upon you falls instant death
Bubbling and churning with fire
Charon utters, not a word
The fare lay beneath your tongue
If you lived your days, preferred
For those empty palated souls
Damned to reap what they sow
And to seek the Paupers entrance
Which was lost, long long ago

Sleeping Beauty rests peacefully
With just a hint of a smile
Her hands lay fold, cross her breast
I stand above her awhile
The Preacher reciting passages
Her face looks of porcelain glass
Steadily and rapidly, his words fall to the floor
Even on this day, her beauty remains, unsurpassed
Before I left, I stowaway beneath her tongue
A coin for the rivers fare
And a promise as I depart
In my time, I will meet her there

Next a child, hidden as a man
He never learned of love
His misdirect of intimacy
Weighed heavy, upon his lung
So charismatic and spiteful
Too hollow to remember to forget
He went off shopping doctors
And huffing his regret
Know now not from mention of him
But he was infamous, Long ago
For his disappearing act
Found buried beneath the snow

A good hearted man, caring and kind
Never did he ask for much
Modest, his secret hidden in shadows
He felt so, as not to be a crutch
Long ago, he helped me fly without wings
Dip dodging ceiling fans
Welcomed hugs from his sandpaper face
Were forever in our plans
But in the end, as I sit with him
Playing music all the while
The joker to the end in his unique way
He went out just as he said, 'In style'

A miserable woman, self proclaimed nurse
Always had time for a friend
But when the going got tough, she got to going
Leaving behind her children in the end
A cold, black hearted woman, 
Lived in self fulfilling strife
Abandonment from death all but forgiven
But she left her children behind in waking life
In her time she contributed little
She lived her days hapless, mindless, and without care
But when appearing beside the flame lit rivers edge
She would find herself there, without a fare

Lastly, a gentle soul
Who I was proud to call my friend
If a problem needed fixing
He was always there to lend a hand
He made the trip, in his dreams
And stopped to visit me along the way
I was tired and wished to leave with him
But he implored me to stay
I awoke the next day, to hear of the news
No matter to me, I already knew
I still think it unfair, a man should die
Because his heart too large it had grew

In due time, so shall we all make that trip
Across the breath of the River Styx
How has your time passed the door
Did your conscience make the right picks
Everyone faces Charon in the end, but as you know he never speaks
His stare pierces through your soul and he knows
And he's run on mercy for the weak
The latter of deaths law, has no top or bottom rung
So live and love, happily without regret or love to spare
When your time has come, look beneath your tongue
And pray your fare is nestled snuggly there

Reviews

[SuperChick62]

A very interesting read about life and death. A very good flow and reads easily, and the metaphor for the River Styx and Charon are a brilliant resemblance of death. When one doesn't live well, how can in death, they be well? Who will remember? Good write

M. Super

[Luke L]

Great stuff, normally I'm not a fan of changing the font, but this actually works for me, because it reminds me of writing stuff with typewriters I like the feel of it