Copyright © 2000 Benjamin A. Shelton
This poem is part of a collection of very old poems I wrote when I was fairly young. As a result, the vocabulary and general tone of the poem may not be up to par with many of my newer works.

Darkness bounds in a world so round,
Twisting, turning, churning ground.
Tears upon a stranger’s face,
Feelings we shall all embrace.

Darkness, shadows, all so shallow,
Running, darting, fly like sparrows.
Why we live and then shall die,
All so that our hearts may cry.

Darkness’ mark in a night so dark,
Quiet, light-less like a lark.
Birds have never flown so high,
To burn and shatter, never try.

My worst fears have all come true,
All no matter what I do.
I have prayed to walk the stars,
Waging wars and planting Mars.

If the darkness takes my heart,
Take to living worlds apart.
Stars away from homeland’s ground,
All no matter what Ive found
And shall I but one day find,
All the answers of my mind.
Never once shall I return,
To the sphere we call mankind.