Veiled Horizons

It was early and bright,
the sky was clear.
I was eager and ready
as I entered the cave.

The first hundred feet
I could see, with
the light at my back,
now a distant memory.

The excitement,
long forgotten.
The narrow path,
zigging this way and that.

This solo journey
complicated along the way
by the many faces
who reject my company.

Their inner light,
holding hope,
and a refined purpose,
a dream fading with every step…

As the years go on,
I find myself wandering–
Silently, painfully,
pleading for help.

The end of the cave
now in sight.
The sky is dark, only
rare flashes of light.

The sound of rain,
cold and unrelenting
induces fear of the world,
without protection.

I fear the storm–
and its lightning.
The future with
its veiled horizons.

In this cave,
I have grown
to loathe.
I now seek refuge.

-- Grey Paladin