Face the Raven

Close your eyes

Breathe in this moment for all it's worth

Remember the taste of the air

the soothing blankness of the night sky

pinpricks of stars glowing faintly

the thud of blood pumping through your veins

Remember life

The breaths you took without thought

Now numbered in their thoughtlessness

The sighing of the wind

as it caresses your face

As your mother once did

so very long ago

and weeps, weeps for this final night!

The silence

So out of place at the dusk of a life so filled with laughter

and suddenly, so jarring to the ears

as the last thing you will hear

Here you stand at last

Not running, waiting, still

Who could have seen your last night come 

tonight?

So touch the world around you

Grip it tight if you can, for all too soon

it fades away

If you could stand here, forever, on the brink

and never make another choice you would

If you could take another breath

Begin another adventure

oh, you would!

But here you are 

And life won't wait a second more to give you one last moment

and time won't stall the sunrise so that you can say goodbye

and live 

Live the things that you'd been promised, the words just barely spoken

oh, the promises!

And he promised the most of them all

And silence

Sound enough to say goodbye, but words can barely whisper

all the things you have to say

You didn't see it coming, so how could you have prepared

for the last night

This night

now that this day is upon you

there's so much left to be done

and so much more you have to do.

Rage, rage if you will

Curse the uselessness of it all; 

the mistakes you've made

Knowing nothing now can take it back

And the end you face is yours and yours alone

How lonely you are!

For he looks at you with horror

Did he really not see this day coming?

He, who knew it all

who promised to keep you safe

In words that were never said

For you were invincible

Together; you thought you could outrun death! 

You thought you'd make it out

never looking over your shoulder.

Only now you discover how wrong you were

And his eyes say sorry

but you shoulder this blame alone

Now, turn, Clara, on your heel

and face the darkest night

The final night.

And know the hardest part is saying goodbye. 

Goodbye.

Feel your heart, pounding, louder

drumming as you march unto the next world

the next life

Feel tears just wet your eyes as you remember

the life worth living

The one you have no choice but to give up

and slide cautiously down your cheeks

Feel your feet tread upon that earthen soil

you were born in

The soil still dependable beneath your mortal feet

Do not turn back now

Oh, Clara, close your eyes

But do not run

Do not try to escape this fate

Be brave

For him

Don't let him see the tears you shed in spite of yourself

Feel the rush of air come fast towards you

The death that rides so surely on that wind

Do not scream

Cry out, in agony, if you will

but do not break his hearts

Oh, Clara, always the bravest one

Who lost the sight of her own mortality

Who tasted what this life was like

and lived it.

Truly lived it. 

Be brave one final time, my dear

For now I cannot hold your hand

Embrace it!

Embrace the end, as you embraced

beginning. 

Oh, Clara, darling, the time has come

The time you must stop running

Turn around, and stand your ground

For you must face the raven