She stands silent among silvered, waving trees,

as molten gold filters through their murmuring leaves.

Merely a shadow cast by broken dreams,

waiting alone by the bank of Time’s flowing streams.

Her eyes are open but she cannot see.

Caged phoenix flickers restlessly, wings clipped and flame quenched,

that shuddering ember wavers, once, twice: her heart clenched; 

The world weeps for the innocent, sheds crimson tears,

in a trickling stream devoured by darkness and fears.

She speaks of desire and yet possesses no fire.

A haunting specter of a realm unseen,

neither here nor there, but lost inbetween,

suspended in the universe, under those trees,

she stays and does not fight to be free.

Ambitions she holds but dreams she does not.

Let the gates shatter and let the walls crack,

Arise: the bells toll, and it comes, not holding back,

the die is cast, the youngling must fly,

and the time has come to smite Fate’s eye.

Fire is rising, trees are burning,

wild passions aroused and churning,

reddish glow smolders through thick gray haze,

under this twilight, chains of bondage are set ablaze.

The forest alight and engulfed in tongues of fire:

with a spark the phoenix arises, glorious, from the pyre,

soaring through skies to paint them bright; it rejoices,

and she joins, honest joy reverberating in both their voices.

And she sees innocence, and remembers.

flames glow and flicker

a hypnotic dance

carefree laughter rings through

Eyes wide in wonder.