Inside

I am standing in a lovely meadow,

The grass dancing in the wind,

Birds flirting with the flowers,

I am standing right here but...

In my mind's eye I see a battlefield,

I see the blood soaking into the ground.

The blood staining the ground,

The cries of soldiers dying,

Only Death as the clear winner in this battle.

The healer in me sees the wounded,

Those that are beyond help,

I can feel the fading life even while I practice my art.

My art of drawing the pain into me,

Easing their way to death...

My art of mending broken flesh,

Pouring my life into them.

Everything has a price and the price to heal is my life.

My life is quickly draining away...

So many I can't reach to help in time,

Those are the ones I see around me now...

Reaching across ages and countless lifetimes,

They recognize me in this different flesh,

The same glowing spirit they saw before the dying of their flesh,

I see the flapping torn flesh in place of the birds,

I see red blood instead of the meadow flowers,

A feasting ground for the creatures of Death,

Now a peaceful meadow...

Unless you have the gift, the curse of the inner eye.

 

A warm hand's touch bring me back,

You asked me if I am fine,

I smile at you and say I was just admiring the peaceful meadow,

I know that you will not understand if I told you the truth,

I smile at you and take your hand,

We walk away from that cursed place,

You will not understand what I carry inside,

You silly mortals will not understand.

If we told you the truth we know that you will draw back from us.

So now we hide and live behind a mask, a lie.

One day the veil will be drawn back and you will see.

You will see what is behind the mask...

When that day comes, will you understand?

Or will you draw back from us as you did so long ago?

We are waiting, we are always here...

Human on the outside but something more on the inside.

 

Reviews

[Sheri]

The story of a person seeing death on a past battle. Keeping what he/she sees to themself from a loved one. Sad, but true. You never know what a person truly 'sees', for fear that no one will understand. Great poem; Keep it up!

[LizLadyNinja]

They recognize me in this different flesh,
The same glowing spirit they saw before the dying of their flesh,

I felt that this part of your poem kinda' ruined the flow. Rhyming a word, with the same word doesn't always work. Sadly I think that this really disrupted the flow.

We are waiting, we are always here...
Human on the outside but something more on the inside.

Very chilling way to end your poem. I really like that.

C. T. Edwards